192 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



not aware of a nest having been found, I have no doubt, under the circum- 

 stances, as to their nesting there. As to Co. Galway, the Hon. L. G. Dillon 

 has kindly informed me that the first Woodcock's nest known to have been 

 seen in his father's demesne (which is about six miles N.W. of Ballinasloe) 

 was found about twenty-three years ago, and that, since then, few years have 

 passed without one or more being found. Lately he has heard of Woodcocks 

 breeding in other parts of Co. Galway, and he often heard of their nests 

 being found in the wooded hills, in the south of the county, before the time 

 mentioned above. With regard to Co. Mayo, Mr. J. E. Jackson, of Cong, 

 in that county, informs me that an odd nest has been found, and a few 

 Woodcock seen during summer, in the woods at Ashford, Cong. I believe 

 the Woodcock has not hitherto been recorded as breeding so far west as 

 this. A glance at the list of counties in which this bird has been found to 

 nest shows that its distribution in Ireland during the breeding season is 

 tolerably wide and general : it would, therefore, seem not at all improbable 

 that it breeds also in a number of other counties where it has not yet been 

 discovered in the breeding season by ornithologists or others who make 

 known their observations. The Hon. L. G. Dillon's knowledge of it having 

 bred in Co. Galway twenty -three years ago, suggests that the belief in the 

 alleged extension, westward, of the Woodcock's breeding range in recent 

 years may possibly be due to the discovery recently, by ornithologists, that 

 it nests farther west than they were aware of previously. Is there any 

 evidence to show that a hundred years ago the Woodcock did not breed as 

 far west as it does now ? It is a bird particularly likely to have been over- 

 looked, except in the shooting season, on account of its nocturnal and 

 crepuscular habits ; and, while sportsmen are numerous in Ireland, there 

 are very few ornithologists. — J. E. Palmer (Dublin), 



Swans in Suffolk. — The winter of 1890 — 91 will be long remembered 

 by the wild-fowl shooters as a great Swan-year. Some remarkable shots 

 have been made ; on one occasion five Whoopers, out of a flock of nineteen, 

 were killed on the River Aide at one discharge of a punt-gun ; another 

 gunner obtained three Swans (species not recorded) at a shot with a 

 shoulder-gun, carrying only an ounce and a half of shot. A fine Bewick's 

 Swan was sent me in the flesh, from Aldeburgh, on March 13th, shot in the 

 river a day or two before ; though in poor condition, it weighed over 12 lb s. 

 It still retained some of the rust-coloured tips to the feathers of the head 

 and breast, but the lemon-yellow on the beak was beautifully bright, and 

 extended in a circle round the eye, almost as conspicuous as in the Norfolk 

 Plover. In reply to my query as to the number of Swans obtained this 

 winter, Mr. Hele (to whose kindness I am indebted for the Bewick's S\van( 

 writes : — " Seven Whoopers, two Bewicks's Swans, four wild Mute Swans 



I think you would be safe in saying twenty." — Julian G.jTuck (Tostock 



Rectory, Bury St. Edmunds). 



