BIRDS AND LIGHTHOUSES. 277 



frequent sandpoints near the tide. White-fronted 

 and Greylag I have also seen here, but they are 

 chiefly found about the marshy bog streams, and 

 are not easy to approach. A Bean Goose made 

 friends not long since with some birds belonging to 

 a neighbouring village. It would come close to the 

 cottages and mix with the tame geese. 



" Ducks, Wigeon, Teal and Sheldrakes are in fair 

 abundance at the Salt Lake on Lord Cavan's pro- 

 perty, as well as on Mr. Pike's lakes. Gadwall and 

 Shovellers are rare, but are occasionally to be met 

 with in the bogs and morasses, the former but 

 seldom. Wigeon do not breed in Achill. 



" Mergansers are found in numbers about the 

 Sound, and the Red-breasted Merganser breeds 

 there. Scaup, Pochard, and Golden-eye appeared 

 in Achill in large numbers during the past two hard 

 winters ; the Pochard frequenting the fresh waters. 



" The Tufted Duck is not rare, but is only seen 

 in small numbers. The Long-tailed Duck is most 

 uncommon. 



11 Golden Plover are very abundant, Grey Plover 

 rare ; Green Plover numerous on the mainland, 

 though not on the island. 



" Woodcock and Snipe are fairly numerous. I 

 observed a Great Snipe (Gallinago major] on the 

 26th of July, 1 88 1. 



" A Grey Phalarope was shot in December, 1879, 

 by Mr. W. Pike, of Achill, and I shot another in 

 October, 1880." Mr. Sheridan adds, that there is 

 no reason to fear the extinction of the Chough, 

 as some have supposed, for it is still abundant 

 in Achill, and he has seen a hundred and fifty, 



