96 strigidjE. 



lished respecting Irish specimens, nothing is now to be added. 

 — I can only bring together what has before appeared. 



On June 9, 1835, I had the satisfaction of communicating the 

 first notice of the occurrence of the snowy owl in Ireland to the 

 Zoological Society of London, in whose Proceedings, (1835, 

 p. 78,) it was subsequently published. About the 26th of March, 

 1835, a specimen of this bird was sent in a recent state to Dr. 

 Adams of Portglenone, county of Antrim, by a person who had 

 shot it a few days before in that neighbourhood, and who stated 

 that a similar individual had been seen about the place where it 

 was obtained. The specimen was presented by Dr. Adams to the 

 Natural History Society of Belfast. It was immature, agreeing 

 with the figure in Mr. Selby's Illustrations of British Orni- 

 thology. 



On the 21st of the same month, as two of my friends were 

 snipe-shooting at Bruslee, about twenty miles to the south-east of 

 Portglenone, a large white owl, represented by them as twice the 

 size of the common species of that colour (Strix flammed), rose 

 from the heath within a few yards of one of them, just as he had 

 discharged both barrels at a snipe. His companion fired at it 

 from such a distance, that although struck, it escaped with the 

 loss of only a few feathers, and afterwards alighted a short way 

 off. On showing the specimen killed at Portglenone to one of 

 these gentlemen, he recognised it as similar in size and colour to 

 the bird which he had seen. 



In Dublin, I subsequently saw a snowy owl, winch had been 

 shot in the county of Mayo, also in the month of March, and was 

 credibly informed that a few others were obtained about the same 



tleman, then rose at about forty yards distance, and flew towards him, when it was 

 fired at, but sailed away apparently unhurt. It was, however, soon afterwards brought 

 to him by a boy who had seen it fall ; and excepting a flesh wound in the muscle of 

 one wing, was quite uninjured. It was kept in confinement for a considerable time, 

 and eventually killed by a servant for making too free with some chickens. 



In the Fauna of Cork, published in 1845, it is stated that " an individual of this 

 species was twice fired at by Richard D. Parker, Esq., of Sunday's Well, on Inchigeela 

 mountain, in 1827, but was not procured." To make sure that there was not a 

 typographical error in the year, — that 1827 was not substituted for 1837, — I wrote 

 to the author, and learned that it was correctly printed. The bird was seen in the 

 month of September. 



