102 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



This was most likely also the case with two 

 examples of the MANDARIN DUCK, one of which was 

 shot on the Bandon River, in 1878, by a poor fowler 

 (who said there were five of them together), and is 

 now in the possession of a gunsmith, of Cork ; the 

 other was killed by Mr. Connolly, of Killeagh, on 

 the Midleton River, co. Cork, December nth, 1879. 



It would seem that Scaup and Pochard occa- 

 sionally interbreed, for I have shot old birds with 

 the plumage intermediate in colour between the 

 two species. These birds were always of small 

 size, and of less weight than the female of either 

 species. 



A specimen of the rare RED-CRESTED POCHARD or 

 WHISTLING DUCK {Fuligula rufina\ previously un- 

 heard of in Ireland, was obtained by me on January 

 2Oth, 1 88 1. It was killed just outside the town of 

 Tralee, in a small marsh, by the fowler from whom 

 I procured it. I saw the specimen before it was 

 skinned and set up by Mr. Rohu, the taxidermist 

 at Cork. 



THE SCAUP (Fuligula marila) may be seen on 

 every part of the Irish coast except the south 

 (where it is somewhat rare). It is very seldom 

 met with on inland lakes. I never saw it in such 

 situations myself, but have notes of a few instances 

 of the kind. It is curious that the Pochard, so 

 similar in its habits and food, should frequent fresh 

 waters, whilst the Scaup adheres closely to the 

 bays, creeks, and tidal rivers round the sea-shore. 

 Scaup frequent lakes within a short distance of the 

 sea, but it is most unusual to find even a solitary 

 straggler on inland waters. They resemble Pochard 



