THE HOODED MERGANSER. 161 



was killed at Wexford, aud this gentleman, on the 24th February, 

 1838, saw four of these birds which were brought from that 

 county : — this winter will be remembered as remarkable for the 

 occurrence of the AnatuJa in great numbers. The species has 

 been procured at Waterford. It must become more scarce 

 westward, not having been included in the ' Fauna of Cork,^ and 

 being unknown to my correspondents as a visitant to Kerry. 



This falling off westward in Ireland is interesting, the smew 

 being more a bird of eastern than of extreme western Europe. 

 It is considered a very rare and accidental visitant to the eastern 

 coasts, &c., of North America. Mr. Selby observes that " the 

 majority of such as visit our shores are females, or immature 

 males, in similar plumage -^ * "f^ "f^ the male, in his mature 

 garb, being comparatively seldom met with'''' (p. 386) : — of the 

 Irish specimens, which have come under my cognizance, there 

 were fuUy as many adult males compared with the others as I 

 should expect to find among the smew population. 



In Ireland, this bird is much less common than in England, but 

 more so than in Scotland. 



THE HOODED MERGANSER. 



Mergus cucullatus, Linn. 



Has once been obtained, 



In winter, about the year 1810, at Dingle Bay on the coast of 

 Kerry, by Dr. Chute.'^ 



This bird was first known to visit England in the winter of 

 1829, since which period two others have been obtained there, 

 and one on the coast of AVales (Yarr. 1815) ; none, as yet, have 

 been met with in Scotland (Jard. Macg.). The hooded merganser 

 is a common North American species, of which the individual 

 that have visited Europe must be considered as stragglers. 



* Mr. K. Chuie. 



