THE SPOONBILL. 
179 
session. Since that time/ my friend learned that one or two more 
of these birds had been killed in the same neighbourhood, at Dro- 
mana (Waterford), and were displayed in the gamekeepers^ ont-of- 
door museum along with common ^Wermin.^^ In Eebrnary 1832, 
three spoonbills were shot from a flock of flve near Dingle, county 
of Kerry, and one of them sent to my informant, the late Mr. 
T. D. Neligan, of Tralee. Major Walker, of Belmont, Wexford, 
writing to me in November 1836, remarked, that Mr. Deve- 
reux, jun., of Carrickmannon, in that county, had told him of 
seven spoonbills having frequented a pond at his place in the 
preceding winter ; but they were so wary as never to admit of his 
approach within gun-shot. A spoonbill is said to have been 
killed in the winter of 1837-38 in the county of Donegal; but 
not preserved.* As my excellent correspondent, Mr. Joseph 
Poole, was returning from shooting on the south coast [Wexford ?] 
in July 1840, with his gun unloaded, a spoonbill passed within 
about ten yards of him. He afterwards saw the bird several 
times in a marsh in the same neighbourhood ; but it would not 
admit of a near approach. On the 26th November, 1841, a female 
was shot on Eogerstowm strand, near Swords, county of Dublin : 
another spoonbill was in company with it. Mr. T. W. Warren, 
who informed me of its occurrence, kindly took the following 
notes for my use : — 
It was 3f lbs. in weight, and in every respect very large. The spoon part of the 
bill was 2 inches 2 lines in breadth ; the extent of wings 4 feet. The plumage 
indicated a young bird of the year, as the outer webs of the quiUs were black ; their 
tips and those of the secondaries being also of that colour, which was displayed from 
i of an inch to 3 inches in depth. The tail was slate-grey with the shafts of the 
feathers white ; its under side being of a deeper tint than the upper. Mane-like 
feathers extended from the back of the head down the neck for 4 inches. Legs 
blackish-brown, lighter on the inside of the thighs, and beautifully tesselated with 
hexagonal scales edged with dingy white. Its stomach was fiUed with shrimps. 
On the 30th of November 1843, one was killed close to the 
town of Youghai.t 
About the middle of October 1844, a spoonbill was shot in the 
N 2 
* Mr. T. W. Warren. 
t Dr. J. R. Harvey. 
