10 
ANATIDAL 
On the 30th of January, 1848, during which much snow fell, 
a flock of twelve wild swans appeared on Brackenhill mill-pond, 
near Dromedaragh, county Antrim, and remained there for a few 
days, regardless of the presence of men occupied in cutting drains 
around the pond. They were described as keeping “ a strange 
hooping or whirring noise.” Six of these birds were seen here 
again on the 16th of February. Early in this month a flock of 
fourteen or fifteen appeared on Lough Neagh, opposite Mr. 
Fforde's, at Rockland. Two small flocks, perhaps the former one 
divided, remained there for several days. On a large pond at 
Dromedaragh, a flock of about thirty alighted and remained dur- 
ing a day in November 1848 ; — their call was compared to that 
of “ a young child crying.” Remarks on the call are noticed, as, 
if well described, they should indicate whether the bird were C. 
ferus or C. BewicJcii. 
In the neighbouring marine loughs of Larne, Belfast, and 
Strangford, the following observations were made during the last 
three winters. In 1847, five wild swans were seen about Cons- 
water, Belfast Bay, during a few days in the last week of January, 
where they associated with a pair of tame swans. On the £0th 
of February, a flock of twenty appeared flying above the bay in a 
southerly direction. Their call, on being first heard, was believed 
to be distant music ; — as they approached it was remarked to 
consist of two different notes. In 1848, five wild swans appeared, 
on the 3rd of February,* coming from the south over Strangford 
Lough, on which they alighted beside some Brent geese ; on tak- 
ing flight again they flew northward. On the 8th of that month 
four were seen flying at the same place in company with five 
wild geese, with which they kept on wing for several miles from 
the time they were first perceived until they disappeared from 
view. They were observed for that distance owing to their flying 
somewhat circuitously. Wild swans, in flocks of from ten to fifty 
(not less than a hundred are said to have been once seen), visit 
Strangford Lough almost every year at the end of January or 
* Numbers of wild swans were reported to have been seen about this time on the 
sea at Belmullet, county of Mayo. 
