20 ANATID^-. 



of that montli.''^ On the 19th of February hi the same year, a fresh 

 specimen of C. Bewlckii was kindly sent to me from Dublin by 

 the Earl of Enniskillen. Two of these sw^ans, as mentioned by 

 Dr. Burkitt, of Waterford, in November 1841, are in his collec- 

 tion — a young bird shot at Kilbarrey Bog, outside the liberties of 

 Waterford, — and an old one from Clones, county of Monaghan : 

 the years in which they were killed are not stated. On the 1st 

 of February, 1844, a Ci/gnus BewicJcii was obtained in Wexford 

 Harbour ; three or four more accompanied it.f 



On the 5th February, 1845, two of these swans, which had 

 been kiUcd on the Shannon, were on sale in Dublin market. J 

 Within the preceding few weeks, the C. Bewickii had been met 

 with in the counties of Wexford and Roscommon. § On February 

 the 17th, 1845, five wild swans — three old and two young (the 

 latter, grey) — were seen, for about six hours, by H. Bell, wild- 

 fowl shooter, on Ballymacarret Bank, Belfast Bay, within half a 

 mile of the town. He passed in his boat, wdth a mounted swivel- 

 gun, at less than a hundred yards^ distance, without their regard- 

 ing his proximity, or leaving off their feeding for a moment. He 

 could easily have got a shot at them, but feared they might be 

 tame swans. They were eventually frightened away by his firing 

 at wigeon close by, when they rose to a great height in the air, 

 to an elevation that he imagined would carry them over the range 

 of mountains between this locality and Lough Neagh, in the 

 direction of which they proceeded. This fowler, as well as others, 

 some years ago saw a flock of about eighty wild swans in Belfast 

 Bay, wdiere they remained some days, and were fired at, but with- 

 out effect. On the 19th February, 1845, the Marquis of Down- 

 sliire mentioned to me that four wild swans had, for the last three 

 weeks, frequented one of the artificial lakes in Hillsborough Park, 

 his seat in the county of Down. 



* December 1849. — This bird is still living here. It was placed on a pond with 

 a pair of Polish swans {Cyg. immutahiUs) , a male black swan, and several kinds of 

 geese, with all of which it seems to live quietly and contentedly, though not so fami- 

 liar with visitors as the others. The black swan coupled with it on two successive 

 seasons, but there was no produce. Its voice is a single, sweet, metallic note, re- 

 peated at short intervals. || 



t Mr. Poole. + Mr. R. Ball. § Mr. R. Davis. 



