THE HOODED MERGANSER. 
161 
was killed at Wexford, and this gentleman, on the 24th February, 
1838, saw four of these birds which were brought from that 
county : — this winter will be remembered as remarkable for the 
occurrence of the Anatida in great numbers. The species has 
been procured at Waterford. It must become more scarce 
westward, not having been included in the f Fauna of Cork/ and 
being unknown to my correspondents as a visitant to Kerry. 
This falling off westward in Ireland is interesting, the smew 
being more a bird of eastern than of extreme western Europe. 
It is considered a very rare and accidental visitant to the eastern 
coasts, &c., of North America. Mr. Selby observes that “ the 
majority of such as visit our shores are females, or immature 
males, in similar plumage ; * * * the male, in his mature 
garb, being comparatively seldom met with'” (p. 386) : — of the 
Irish specimens, which have come under my cognizance, there 
were fully as many adult males compared with the others as I 
should expect to find among the smew population. 
In Ireland, this bird is much less common than in England, but 
more so than in Scotland. 
THE HOODED MERGANSER. 
Mergus cucullatus, Linn. 
Has once been obtained, 
In winter, about the year 1840, at Dingle Bay on the coast of 
Kerry, by Dr. Chute.* 4 
This bird was first known to visit England in the winter of 
1829, since which period two others have been obtained there, 
and one on the coast of Wales (Yarr. 1845) ; none, as yet, have 
been met with in Scotland (Jard. Macg.). The hooded merganser 
is a common North American species, of which the individuals 
that have visited Europe must be considered as stragglers. 
* Mr. R. Chute. 
M 
