2024 Birds. 



fallen together into the sea : some of them were taken up, and found to be perfectly 

 fresh. — Alex. P. Falconer ; Becton, Christchurch, February 11, 1848. 



Enquiry respecting the Egg of the Greenshank. — Your correspondent Mr. Milner, 

 in his interesting observations on the birds of Sutherland shire and Ross-shire (Zool. 

 2014), mentions the capture of a greenshank, from which was taken a perfect egg. As 

 there has been some confusion about the egg of this bird, an accurate description and 

 (if it is not incompatible with the plan of the ' Zoologist ') a coloured lithotint draw- 

 ing of the specimen thus obtained would be of great interest to such of your readers 

 as are interested in the oological branch of the science of ornithology. — William R. 

 Fisher ; February 1, 1848. 



[Mr. Milner will much oblige me by sending a description and drawing. — E. iV] 



Occurrence of the White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) at Waterford. — A couple 

 of wild geese were shot in this neighbourhood during the late severe weather, which 

 on close inspection proved to be the white-fronted species, which is very rare here. — 

 James C lib born ; Waterford, 2nd mo. 1 1 th, 1848. 



Account of a Hooper or Wild Swan (Cygnus ferus), nearly Seven Years in the pos- 

 session of Rear-Admiral Webley Parry. — The winter of 1829-30 was remarkably severe, 

 and especially so for South Wales, where the climate is generally mild and humid. 

 There had been numerous flocks of wild geese and other northern birds, including the 

 hooper or wild swan, on the river Tivy and its tributary streams : a pair of these birds 

 were shot at and secured by the Rev. Samuel B. ShirrerT, of Stradmore, Cardigan- 

 shire, whose residence was on the banks of that river. The male bird was merely 

 wounded in the pinion; the female unfortunately too severely so to survive. Mr. 

 ShirrerT presented the other to my father, the late Rear-Admiral Webley Parry, of 

 Noyadd Trefann, in the same county, in the hope that he might be sufficiently tamed 

 to put on a piece of ornamental water near the house. The extreme wildness and 

 fierceness of this bird, if approached, was remarkable, flying at every person who came 

 near his domicile. We placed him in a small yard, with an open shed for him to re- 

 tire to. It was many days before we could induce him to eat anything : as we were 

 quite ignorant of his natural food we feared he would be starved to death, but fortu- 

 nately he began to eat sea biscuit soaked in water, which he continued to live upon 

 for some months. After being kept in this place for more than two months, and be- 

 ing as we thought tolerably tame, we put him on the piece of water before named, but 

 no sooner was he on his native element than all his natural wildness seemed to return : 

 he made his way down to a stream which ran into the Tivy, on which river he was 

 caught, making his way towards the sea, and brought back again. Shortly after this, 

 an accident happening to the embankment, the piece of water became dry, and ' Dan,' 

 as he was called, was brought up to the house, and had to content himself in the cir- 

 cumscribed limits of the stable and poultry yards, together with the farm-yard pond : 

 from the number of people constantly passing and repassing there, and his long 

 sojourn, he became excessively tame, went to bed with the poultry, came when called, 

 would follow us about, and knew his way around the premises as well as the dogs. 

 After a while he returned to his old quarters, and from that time until his death never 

 but once attempted to escape, though he would occasionally take a flight round the 

 water and alight again : at the time alluded to he would doubtlessly have returned, 

 but in his flight he alighted at a farm not far from Noyadd, when he was immediately 

 caught and shut up, and notice sent to us of his capture. T went to fetch him, know- 

 ing he would follow me, and on my way saw him being driven home by a boy ; but 



