SOME EXTRACTS FROM A SHOOTERS NOTE-BOOK. 447 



birds, like Hooded Crows, and destroying numbers ; to-day I saw 

 a Rook attack a poor weakly Fieldfare and tear it to pieces in a 

 short time. The Magpies are also feasting on the unfortunate 

 starving birds and committing great destruction. 



17th. — The frost still continues with great severity, with no 

 sign of change. To-day I shot one Cock, three brace of Snipe, 

 and a Grey Plover. The ice is still closed across the river at 

 Killanly and Roserk, though quite broken up below those places, 

 and being lifted by the rising spring tides, is left by the ebb tide 

 in large quantities along the shore, some sheets being over 

 three inches thick. With a fall of the barometer and a cloudy 

 sky, about 11 a.m., the snow began to soften, as if indicating a 

 change. But about 9 p.m. the frost returned and set in with 

 its usual severity. 



18th. — The heavy frost still continues, but the rising tides 

 are breaking up the ice, and to-day the river is clear as far as 

 Castleconnor, the ebb tide drifting down large quantities, some 

 sheets being three and four inches thick. As I was coming out 

 of the shore field, at the end of the double fence, I saw a 

 splendid Wild Swan flying down the river and pitching on the 

 water just opposite, then looking about and uttering low-toned calls 

 resembling the words " hong, hong, awe," afterwards swimming 

 down the estuary until lost to sight in the dense fog. The bird, 

 by its calls, was evidently a Bewick's Swan, and since then, 

 having frequently heard the calls of other Swans from time to 

 time, have no doubt of its species. To-day I shot three brace 

 of Snipe in the drains of Wright's field, and a Duck in the drain 

 of Goodwin's Hill, losing a wounded Mallard. 



19th. — The frost still continues, with a bitterly cold easterly 

 wind, but as yet no sign of change, though the ice on the tidal 

 part of the river is being rapidly broken up by the spring tides, 

 and the river is now clear up to Castleconnor Point ; but neither 

 steamer nor sailing ship can pass that barrier of ice. A schooner 

 to-day attempted to force her way up to the shipping quay, and 

 although with a fair wind and all sails set, when meeting the 

 icy barrier she was brought to with a shock that almost brought 

 the masts out of her, and recoiling from the shock she was 

 brought to anchor, her commander, thinking discretion the 

 better part of valour, sitting down quietly and waiting for the 



