464 Contributions to the 



tion, they are timid and extremely gentle, and never attempt to 

 molest any of the wild fowl confined in the same pond with them, 

 though all of these are their inferiors in strength and size. Their 

 call, chiefly uttered at the migratory periods, is a low deep-toned 

 whistle, once repeated. On the water, the carriage of the Cyg?nis 

 Bewickii is intermediate in its character between that of the mute 

 swan and common goose ; but if these birds exhibit not the grace 

 and majesty of the former on this element, they appear to much 

 more advantage on the land, where, by choice, they spend the greater 

 portion of their time. 



The Museum of the Royal Dublin Society contains a specimen 

 of the Cygnus Bewickii (though not so labelled) which was shot in 

 November 1830, on the west of Ireland. It exhibits the rust-co- 

 lour on the head, indicative of immaturity. In the collection of 

 William Massey, Esq. of the Pigeon House, Dublin, I recognized 

 another individual of this species, in the immaculate plumage of 

 maturity. This was, along with a second specimen, killed by Mr 

 Massey, out of a flock of five, in Dublin bay, on the 18th December 

 1829. The Cygnus Bewickii has not before been recorded as oc- 

 curring in Ireland. 



I subjoin the following notes, made subsequent to June 3, 1834, 

 when the last part of this paper was read : 



Larus Sabinii. 



" A third specimen of this bird occurred last autumn in Ireland. 

 It was shot on or about September 15, 1834, on the shore of Belfast 

 Bay, near Claremont, the residence of Mr Clewlow, in whose pos- 

 session it novv is. It is a young bird of the year, and in plumage 

 similar to the other two individuals of this species, which 1 had the 

 satisfaction of announcing to the Linneean Society, last year, as 

 having been obtained in Ireland."* The dimensions of this bird, 

 taken in the same manner, and compared with those of the indivi- 

 dual above described, exhibit but one difference at all worthy of 

 notice ; its first quill being longer than the second, though the se- 

 cond slightly exceeds the first, in the latter specimen. 



Cygnus Bewickii. 



June 1834. On a fine sheet of water, in the demesne of the 

 Marquis of Sligo, at Westport, county of Mayo, I observed a swan 



* Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for 1835, p. 83. 



