10 ANATID,«. 



On the 30th of January, IS^^S, during which much snow i'ell, 

 a flock of twelve wild swans appeared on Brackenhill mill-pond, 

 near Dromedaragh, county Antrim, and remained there for a few 

 days, regardless of the presence of men occupied in cutting drains 

 around the pond. They were described as keeping " a strange 

 hooping or whirring noise." Six of these birds were seen here 

 again on the 16th of February. Early in this month a flock of 

 foui-teen or fifteen appeared on Lough Neagh, opposite Mr. 

 Fforde's, at Rockland. Two small flocks, perhaps the former one 

 divided, remained there for several days. On a large pond at 

 Dromedaragh, a flock of about thirty ahghted and remained dur- 

 ing a day in November 1848 ; — their call was compared to that 

 of " a young child crying." Remarks on the call are noticed, as, 

 if well described, they should indicate whether the bird were C. 

 ferns or C. Beivickii. 



In the neighbouring marine loughs of Larne, Belfast, and 

 Strangford, the following observations were made during the last 

 three winters. In 1847, five wild swans were seen about Cons- 

 water, Belfast Bay, during a few days in the last week of January, 

 where they associated with a pair of tame swans. On the 20th 

 of February, a flock of twenty appeared flying above the bay in a 

 southerly direction. Their call, on being first heard, was believed 

 to be distant music ; — as they approached it was remarked to 

 consist of two different notes. In 1848, five wild swans appeared, 

 on the 3rd of February,^ coming from the south over Strangford 

 Lough, on wliich they alighted beside some Brent geese ; on tak- 

 ing flight again they flew northward. On the 8th of that mouth 

 four were seen flying at the same place in company with five 

 wild geese, with which they kept on wing for several miles from 

 the time they were first perceived until they disappeared from 

 view. They were observed for that distance owing to their flying 

 somewhat circuitously. Wild swans, in flocks of from ten to fifty 

 (not less than a hundred are said to have been once seen), visit 

 Strangford Lough ahnost every year at the end of January or 



* Numljcrs of wild swaus were lepoiied to have been secu about Ihis time on the 

 sea at Belniullet, eounty of Mayo. 



