102 ANATID^:. 



left, like grallatorial birds, to regale upon the banks. Here they 

 remained until the advancing sea raised them on its surface, and 

 then continued to feed so long as the water was shallow enough 

 for the purpose. When it deepened too much, they iioated on 

 its bosom, and resigned themselves to rest or sleep, " high 

 water" being the time of their repose. On the short grass of 

 some of the islets off Islay, they were remarked by a friend to 

 graze by day. 



It has been particularly noticed by Mr. Darragh and others, 

 that the weaker and stronger birds keep each together in flocks 

 during the entire season. They may even, suiting their strength 

 of flight individually to each other, have divided into flocks 

 before starting on migration. The weaker consist of both sexes, 

 of all ages, but of fewer adult males than the stronger flocks. 

 Any number, up to four or five hundred, of either kind, will be 

 found together. Every individual shot from the weaker party 

 is smaller and lighter, as every one killed from the stronger flock 

 is of a larger and heavier kind. The weak and the strong resort 

 to different feeding-grounds in Larne, Belfast, and Strangford 

 loughs ; the former keeping nearer the shore, and coming farther 

 up the loughs, than the stronger birds. Some shooters in the 

 two latter localities term the smaller birds fresh-toater wigeou, 

 from an idea that they feed chiefly inland, and only occasionally 

 visit the sea. It cannot, however, be owing to this cause that 

 they are inferior, as the scaup duck, which is given as much as 

 the wigeon to division into strong and weak flocks, dwells upon 

 the sea, very rarely, indeed, visiting fresh-water here. 



Wigeon frequent Belfast Bay in such mmibers that two or 

 thi'ee persons have always earned their livelihood in the season 

 by shooting them, brent-geese, and wild-fowl generally, as several 

 other persons have partially done. An account of the manner 

 in which wigeon were formerly shot here, or until witliin the last 

 twenty years — ^when the few owners of swivel-guns have had the 

 s})ort nearly all to themselves — may perhaps be interesting. 



Barrels, large enough to contain the shooter and his dog, were 

 sunk in (he ooze, until their top was about two inches above its 



