u8 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



Goosanders are certainly rare visitants to Ire- 

 land, yet eight or ten, and even more, have 

 come to my knowledge as having been procured, 

 in a hard winter, on the north and east coasts. 

 In the severe January of 1881, Goosanders were 

 shot in every part of Ireland, and were more plen- 

 tiful than they were ever known to be before. As 

 many as eight were seen together during that month 

 on the Blackwater, near Cappoquin, and more than 

 one was shot. 



THE REDBREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator] 

 is generally more or less common round the coasts of 

 Ireland. In Cork Harbour, throughout the severe 

 winter 1878-79, I often noticed, to the eastward of 

 the man-of-war roads, from one hundred to even 

 five or six hundred of these Divers together. 

 Their favourite habit is to drift with the tide to a 

 certain point, whence they will rise and start afresh. 

 When the tide changes they reverse this per- 

 formance. Of all wildfowl, except perhaps Golden- 

 eyes, they are the most restless and wary ; never 

 quiet, always swimming, diving, and flying, and to 

 no apparent end. I never yet saw one at rest with 

 head down, and bill tucked under the wing. They 

 are ever on the look-out, and though there may be 

 hundreds on all sides, they cannot be approached 

 within a long shot, without the best of luck and care. 

 Any fowler who can now and then push his punt 

 within shot of these birds may rest assured that 

 he is most favourably equipped for shooting. It 

 is the best of practice for a beginner. He will 

 be surprised how tame Duck and Wigeon will 

 afterwards appear. All Mergansers, from their 



