DUBLIN NATUEAL HISTOBY SOCIETY. 
91 
for three successive years, several individuals of which have been ap¬ 
proached and shot like common wild swans ; and as several instances of 
the occurrence of the mute swan wild in Prance and Belgium are given 
by De Selys Longchamps, and Degland, Yarrell, too, admitting that 
they occur wild in nearly every country of Europe,—I see no difficulty 
in concluding that this species, like the two others, is at times impelled 
by the severity of a northern winter to seek a milder climate on the more 
temperate shores of the British islands. Nothing is more probable at 
all events ; and although their wandering habits when half tame justify 
suspicion and inquiry into the particulars of each case, there does not 
seem to be any reason, when these favour the wild theory, why it should 
not be accepted where there is so little difficulty in doing so. How¬ 
ever, not being a very experienced ornithologist, I submit my views sub¬ 
ject to correction. 
Mr. Andrews said that this specimen, so kindly presented to the So¬ 
ciety, could not, under the circumstances given by Lord Clermont, be other¬ 
wise received than as truly wild,—no records of the capture of the mute 
swan (Cygnus olor ), in the British islands admittedly wild, have been 
given, but there was not any possibility of considering this as anything 
but a visitor in a wild state. It appeared to be a bird of the first year; 
and although from its large proportions it might bear some affinity to 
the Polish swan, yet there were sufficient characteristics to separate it 
from Cygnus immutabilis, and to identify it as a yearling of C. olor. 
Bev. Professor Haughton exhibited some specimens of plant stems, 
found in the micaceous yellow sandstone beds of Herrylock, county of 
"Wexford, on the east shore of Waterford Harbour. (Eigures and descrip¬ 
tions of these will be given postea.) 
The President observed that the stem of the grass tree of New Hol¬ 
land (X hastilis) exhibited just such a section as that described, the 
cross lines being formed by the bases of the old leaves, and the mid-axis 
by the stem of the plant. He had also seen specimens of parasitic plants, 
such as ivy, which might explain the other specimens exhibited, in which 
the twining plant had become imbedded in the bark of its support. 
He. J. R. Rjnahan next read a paper, as follows :—■ 
ON THE SUBAQUEOUS HABITS OE THE WATEE OUZEL (CINCLUS AQUATICUS). 
During the years 1849 and 1850, having nearly daily occasion to fre¬ 
quent that part of the river Dodder which passes through the romantic 
mountain glens of Glenismaul and Castlekelly, the great abundance of the 
water ouzel, or, as the peasantry there call it, kingfisher, induced me to 
study its habits somewhat particularly. The results of this investigation 
were brought by me before the Dublin Philosophical Society at its open¬ 
ing meeting in the latter year. That communication never having been 
printed, I purpose to lay before this Society to-night the more important 
conclusions to which I was then led, the accuracy of which a frequent 
