THE GOOSANDER. 169 



larger than the others. These three fish had been swallowed head 

 foremostj and the two latter were entirely consumed by the gastric 

 juice, except the bones and the hinder portions, which, not having 

 come in contact with it, were uninjured. Jan. 3, 1837. An 

 adult male shot on the river Bann at Portglenone came under my 

 examination. Its weight was 3 lbs. 9 oz. Length 26| inches. 

 Measurement of bill and wings as in the last. It contained an 

 eel Hi inches long, perfect and fresh-looking, except a little dis- 

 coloration at the tail caused by the gastric juice. It lay tail 

 foremost in the stomach, the eel being the most unaccommodating 

 of fish in suiting itself to the wishes of its captors. There was 

 another eel, much digested, which had been of similar size. The 

 stomach also exhibited some small pebbles, and a full-grown 

 Trochns cinerariiis. About the 10th of March, 1837, two adult 

 males, which came under my notice, were shot in Belfast Bay, and 

 on the 13th of February, 1839, as splendid an old bird of this 

 sex as I have seen was killed on the river Lagan, near Liaburn. 

 Presh specimens of a nearly adult female shot at Down- 

 patrick, and an immature male, obtained in Belfast Bay, have 

 come under my inspection ; the former on the 24th of January, 

 1848, and the latter on the 8th of December, 1849 ; an adult 

 male was in company with the young bird. Early in March, 1850, 

 an old male was distinguished in company with red-breasted 

 mergansers on Larne Lough. 



On the 3rd of December, 1837, a male goosander (apparently 

 in the plumage of the second year) was purchased in Dublin 

 market : the dealer's name for it w^as " land cormorant." About 

 the 20th of January, 1838, a female was sent by Sir Richard 

 Leviiige, Bart., to Dublin to be preserved, and, on opening it, 

 forty-nine perch, averaging three inches each in length, and a 

 young pike, seven inches long, were found.* I subsequently 

 learned from this gentleman that the bird was shot at his seat, 

 Knockdrin Castle, Westmeath. On the 1st of December, 1842, 

 a young male was obtained in tlie market of the metropolis, by a 



* * Mr. 11. 11. nouibrniii. 



