EFFECT OF SEVERE FROST ON ANIMAL LIFE. 295 
frost again set in so hard on the 23rd that at two o’clock I observed 
ice forming on the tidal part of the river near Belleek, and the 
cold and want of food then began to be felt so severely by 
the Black-headed Gulls that numbers were captured alive by the 
country children along the river side, being so weak as to be 
unable to fly. The intense cold still continued on the 24th, with 
the thickest fog I ever saw freezing upon everything, all the bays 
and creeks along the river being completely closed by ice. With 
great difficulty I got out my punt, owing to the quantity of ice 
piled up along the shore, and after getting afloat, the fog was 
so thick that I was unable to get to the Widgeon, and had to 
keep close to the shore, looking out for any Mallards that might 
be feeding where the fresh-water streams run into the river. 
While paddling along the shore near Killanly, a Mallard swam 
out from the shore to look at the punt, and after coming within 
about ten yards, swam towards the shore again. I followed, 
expecting him to lead me to his companions, which were invisible 
in the fog. After following for about twenty yards, I could 
just see some Ducks in the water along the wrack, but owing to 
the thickness of the fog I was unable to make out their numbers 
or to aim correctly. Hence, when I at length fired, I made-a bad 
shot, only killing three birds, and these were so close to the 
‘punt that they were fairly riddled and almost spoiled. After 
loading again I returned along the Moyview shore to where 
another stream runs down, and fell in with ten or twelve Mallards 
feeding, but owing to the weight of ice in the boat depressing her 
bows too much, I was unable to elevate the gun quick enough to 
get a shot before they made off; I got so close to them in the fog 
that the instant they saw the punt they were off. The frost 
all day was intense, every drop of water freezing on the punt as 
it fell, and the paddles becoming covered with ice the instant I 
lifted them out of the water. The Curlews now became very 
thin and poor, not worth shooting, and began to search for food 
along the hedgerows and in the plantations, deserting the shore 
by day. I found one of these birds dead from starvation, as well 
as several Black-headed and one Common Gull. 
To give some idea of the state of starvation to which the 
Rooks were at this time reduced, I may state that on my return 
home I threw the dead Curlew and three Fieldfares on the lawn, - 
and in about a quarter of an hour they were clean picked. ‘The 
