ii2 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



tary Scoter on fresh water at a considerable distance 

 from the sea. 



THE VELVET SCOTER (CEdemia fusca] is compara- 

 tively rare on the Irish coast. One in Mr. Nelli- 

 gan's collection, at Tralee, was shot at that place. 

 Several years since I obtained a couple off the east 

 coast, and have seen perhaps a dozen others. Most 

 collections can, however, boast Irish-killed speci- 

 mens. I have never met with the Velvet Scoter in a 

 harbour or estuary ; always at sea, at some distance 

 from land, and on no occasion on the western sea- 

 board : oftenest when making a passage, and so 

 not prepared for shooting. The fishermen of the 

 north and north-east coasts have convinced me they 

 have not unfrequently met with this bird in small 

 bunches of five or six, far out at sea, and where the 

 Common Scoter would not be likely to be found ; 

 besides which, these men know the common species 

 well, and have described to me with accuracy the 

 white-barred wing and eye-spot of the Velvet Scoter. 



Mr. Lloyd Patterson, in his work on the Birds 

 of Belfast Lough, records his having seen a couple 

 of Velvet Scoters in that estuary a few years 

 ago. This bird is easily distinguishable from the 

 Common Scoter by a white patch on the wing, 

 more or less visible in either sex, whether immature 

 or adult, and by a white spot under the eye in the 

 male, and in front as well as behind the eye in the 

 female. 



THE SURF SCOTER (CEdemia perspicillatd) is a 

 much rarer visitor to the British Islands, and, so far 

 as I am aware, has only been met with in Ireland 

 on two occasions. One was killed in Belfast Bay 



