The Tufted Duck in Scotland. 155 
breeds on Lough Erne, and is said to be increasing there too, 
but I could not say that any ‘ vast’ increase has taken place 
anywhere. I think it may now be considered as ‘breeding 
commonly,’ ze, regularly, but not in large numbers. Want 
of systematic observation and inquiry prevents my answer- 
ing your query as to when the present supposed increase 
began to be noticed. It breeds also in County Monaghan, 
and is reported from Donegal, but I have no information as 
to Lough Fearn. It is reported from several other Irish 
counties outside Ulster. Twenty to twenty-five years ago, I 
have seen as many as 400 in one ‘ paddling’ in Belfast Bay. 
They are abundant on Lough Neagh in winter, and are some- 
times taken in nets there, and at Lough Beg, and on the 
lower River Bann, where it leaves the lake; but I think such 
captures are more by accident than design. A few years ago, 
four were sent to me that had been so netted—these out of a 
much larger number.” In a subsequent communication, Mr 
Lloyd Paterson tells me :—“The netting is done practically 
all round the lake (Neagh). The nets are set on the bottom 
by weighting with stones, holding them perpendicularly by 
corks. They are netted in thousands in 15 fathoms of water, 
also the Red-head or Pochard.” 
The principal interest of these side-lights of Irish distribu- 
tion seems to me to be in the fact that the Tufted Duck was 
such an abundant winter visitor, and was so well known to 
be so, long before it was recorded as a breeding species in the 
east counties of England, and also long before it came to be 
known, or was obtained by the punt-shooters of the Solway 
Firth, as vouched for at the date of 1888 by the Rev. H. A. 
Macpherson in his work on the “ Fauna of Lakeland.” 
Our blank in consecutive records in Ireland is somewhat of 
a stumbling-block, but so far as the ascertained facts indicate, 
the earlier records of its breeding were in the north, and near 
the northern extremities of its winter residence. The question 
naturally arises, Whence was Ireland first visited ? Was it by 
the higher-flying squadrons which Gatke believes cleave the 
higher strata of atmosphere, which are bent upon the longest 
or overlapping journeys? I have myself before now wit- 
nessed both actual departure and actual arrival of several 
