THE HOOPER. 169 



in the winter of 1879-80, a herd of one hundred 

 and ten Bewick's Swans visited his lake. Last 

 season (1880-81), fifty-six was the largest number 

 counted at one time. Mr. Pike never allowed the 

 swans to be molested, and could, he said, at all times 

 approach them within less than two hundred yards. 

 In Achill, Bewick's Swan arrives every winter on 

 the lakes, the first week of December ; but, as every- 

 where else, their number is greatly influenced by 

 weather. If a hard frost set in at the end of 

 January, swans will even then appear in plenty. 

 On Lough Gill, a small freshwater lake in Kerry, 

 divided by a narrow strand from the Atlantic, three 

 to four hundred swans remained during the frost of 

 1878-79, and were seen by many gentlemen, amongst 

 others by Lord Ventry, who described to me their 

 beautiful appearance and numbers, but did not know 

 their species. 



The lake of Castle Gregory is separated from 

 Brandon Bay, coast of Kerry, by a narrow sand- 

 bank. The water of the lake is only three to four 

 feet in depth, and the bottom of it abounding in 

 weed, it is convenient feeding for these birds. 



The old historians of Kerry invariably allude to 

 this piece of water as holding " a great store " of 

 swans. It is private property, and is strictly 

 preserved by the owner, Lord Ventry. It is 

 curious to note that multitudes of wild swans 

 have been for generations in the habit of yearly 

 visiting this small lake that lies so far to the west 

 on the seaboard of the Atlantic. There were about 

 eight hundred swans here during the unexampled 

 frost of January 1881. When a shot was fired 



