2644 The Zoologist — June, 1871. 



here does not remember so many "elks" having been seen and shot as 

 during the long and severe winter we have just passed through. — F. Boyes. 



PS. — Three hoopers, the remains of a flock of seventeen which have 

 frequented a sheet of water in this neighbourhood a great part of the winter, 

 are still staying, and seem quite at home, coming regularly with the tame 

 ones to feed. They are strictly kept from molestation, and it is hoped they 

 will remain here through the summer. — F. B. ; April 20, 1871. 



Bewick's Swan near Beverley. — Two flocks of this species were seen on 

 our river during the winter, one containing nine (out of which one was shot) 

 and the other twenty-two birds; these last were seen several times, but 

 I am glad to say they escaped the slaughter that was dealt out to the poor 

 hoopers. The one shot measured four feet in length, six feet six inches 

 across the wings, and weighed eleven pounds and a half. I think no one 

 could possibly mistake a Bewick's swan for a hooper, as, independently of 

 the character in the beak, Cygnus minor looks a mere goose when placed 

 beside C. ferus. — Id. 



Swans in Ireland in the Winter of 1870-71.— As no one has talcen 

 the trouble to note the occurrence of swans in Ireland this winter in the 

 pages of the ' Zoologist,' I must not let the opportunity slip by. In the 

 northern parts of the country the mute swau or the Pohsh (?), with the 

 hooper, occurred in great abundance, large flocks of Polish and mute swans 

 being seen on the sea (I &m. not half convinced that the Polish is the mute 

 swan). In the west, east and south Bewick's swan occurred in many flocks, 

 even being seen in this county : it was the commonest in the taxidermists' 

 shops, and exposed repeatedly for sale in our markets : I failed in getting good 

 market specimens, but purchased from Williams, of Dame Street, a fine 

 adult, shot at Castlereagh, Roscommon. — H. Blahe-Knox. 



Gadwall in Dublin Bay. — Shot a fine male and female last February in 

 this bay. It is one of the very rare Irish ducks. I have heard of a second 

 pair killed in the County Antrim. — Id. 



Gargancy Teal in East Yorkshire.— On the 20th of April a fine male 

 garganey was shot, by a young farmer named Grant, in a low-lying field near 

 the river side, which had got partly flooded by the late heavy rains. It 

 was accompanied by a female, which was also shot a day or two afterwards 

 by the same person. These birds were in beautiful plumage, and had 

 probably chosen this marshy place, with large tussocks, &c., for the purpose 

 of nesting, and I am sorry I did not see the female dissected. It is a great 

 pity to shoot these poor birds, for even if they did not breed here there 

 would be no harm in giving them the chance. — F. Boyes. 



Scoter near Beverley.— A common scoter was shot on our river on or 

 about the 10th instant. It was a mature male. There had been no storm 

 to drive it inland, so perhaps it had been migrating. Some of these ducks 

 remain in the Humber throughout the summer.— Ici.; 'May 20, 1871. 



