296 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
cattle and sheep in the fields were in a sad state, not having had 
a bit of grass since the 13th December, and as the turnips were 
hard frozen we were obliged to feed them entirely upon hay and 
straw. 
The thermometer at 11 p.m. indicating sixteen degrees of frost, 
Christmas Day dawned with a bitter east wind and showers 
of hail, but about midday a slight thaw set in, and the snow on 
the roofs began to drip. I caught a weakly Curlew which was 
quite unable to fly. Although the slight thaw continued all 
night, yet on the 26th it made no perceptible impression on 
the frozen snow which still covered the ground. The day being 
calm I went down the Channel to Bartragh in my punt, and 
on my way down saw a flock of twenty-two Wild Swans flying 
towards Enniscrone. I afterwards heard that for a couple of 
days they haunted a little swampy lough situated about a mile 
from that village. I never before remember to have seen such 
large numbers of Widgeon, but, with the exception of two or 
three large flocks resting on the sands, the greater part were 
scattered in small bunches feeding amongst the seaweed along 
the shores of the islands whereon any wrack was to be found. I 
also saw large numbers of Wild Ducks, and it seemed as if 
all the Widgeon of the district had assembled in the estuary, . 
being driven from the lakes and swamps by the ice. Although 
the Widgeon were very wild, I had a very good day’s sport, 
securing twenty-eight and a couple of Mallards. My best shot 
was fourteen birds, but I should have been more successful had 
it not been for the number of small guns along the shore which 
were being continually fired off. My best chance was spoiled by 
a Curlew alarming a fine company of Widgeon feeding along the 
Baunros shore ; I got almost within range when the Curlew put 
them up, and they moved farther up the channel, where they 
settled down again. I commenced setting to them with the tide, 
passing quite close to little bunches of Teal and Widgeon, which 
never rose until the boat almost touched them. I did not think 
them worth a shot, so pushed on to the larger flock, the tail birds 
of which began rising before the punt; but as I ceased paddling 
and let her drift with the tide, those that remained (about thirty 
in number) allowed me to get within range, when I fired and 
knocked over fourteen. 
The frost returned that evening, and by daylight on the 27th 
