BIRDS OF DUBLIN AND WICKLOW. 483 
GoLDENEYE.—Numerous everywhere along the coast, and as 
usual the young and female birds are in the majority. , At the 
end of March or beginning of April, in most years, there is an 
increase in the number and size of the flocks. 
Emer.—About the winter of 1869 or 1870 some of these 
ducks came into Dublin Bay, but soon left; they were very wild, 
I believe one was killed and preserved. I saw a pair on the 4th 
November, 1876, when I fired at the old drake as the pair passed 
over my head, but did not stop it. 
RED-BREASTED Merrcanser.—-Decreasing in numbers all along 
this coast. Years ago I have seen flocks of five or six commonly, 
and of thirty or forty occasionally. During 1877 I saw but one 
large flock and only a few stragglers, and still fewer in. 1878. In 
May, 1877, when fishing in the River Annamve, I saw five Mer- 
gansers; they were always within a limit of a mile and a half. 
Later on in the same month one had disappeared, and two pairs 
were still there; these remained until the middle of June, and 
I thought they were breeding somewhere along the river, but 
never found a nest. 
GoosanpER.—A scarce bird, though I haye seen it several 
times. In January, 1871, there was one constantly diving along 
the Clontarf shore. I once got a long shot at it, but it dived at 
the flash and rose far out of range. During the winter of 1871-72 
three frequented the same neighbourhood. I once saw a single 
bird near Donabate; I think it was in the winter of 1874-75. At 
the beginning of December, in the same winter, three appeared 
for a week or ten days off Clontarf. 
-Crestep Greps.—In the winter of 1870-71 I saw one of these 
birds near the Pigeon-House Fort, and hunted for it for some 
hours, but never got a fair shot at it, though it was fired at 
several times with a heavy gun; the ebbing tide ended the chase 
at last, as.our boat grounded. 
_Dascuicx.—I, once. saw three of these birds on the sea near 
the Lighthouse at the mouth of the Liffey. I have constantly 
seen them at Malahide and Donabate; but they do not frequent 
the sea on this coast in winter, as they do in the West, where 
dozens may be seen at once almost any day. On the Vartry 
Reservoir a number may always be seen in spring and summer, 
and isolated pairs in other suitable spots where they can breed, 
Rep-rHroateD Diver.—The commonest of the three Divers, 
