ON THE OCCURRENCE IN IRELAND OF THE LESSER
SNOW GOOSE, ANSER ALBATUS, Cassin.
By the Editor.
It will be in the recollection of many of the readers of this journal that a few years ago Mr. Howard Saunders directed attention to the capture, in the County Wexford, of two Snow Geese, which having been forwarded to London for sale with other wild-fowl were fortunately rescued by him from oblivion. A third one, not preserved, was shot about the same time (November 1871) in Wexford Harbour.*
I have now to report the re-appearance of what I believe to be the same species of goose in the County Mayo, and the capture of two examples under somewhat singular circumstances.
I first heard of the occurrence in August last, through my friend Mr. Henry S. Sweetman, whose name has been lately before the public in connection with the useful Caleudar which he is pre- paring of Documents relating to Ireland in the Public Record Office, and a portion of which has been already published in the Master of the Rolls Series. As he was on his way to Ireland when he communicated the information to me, and was to spend some time in the Co. Mayo, in the very neighbourhood where the Snow Geese were procured, I begged that he would make sure that the birds in question were not Bernicles, and send me any particulars which he could collect concerning them. As he was personally acquainted with the gentleman who obtained them, Mr. J.R. Crampton, of Lake View, Belmullet, he found no difficulty in complying with my request, and shortly favoured me with the following note:—
"A flock of seven Snow Geese were seen on marshy ground in Terraoncarra, in the Barony of Erris, about the end of October last. One of them was shot, and a second, a gander, trapped. After a time the latter was placed with some tame geese, and soon frater- nised with them. He has now (August 26th) got quite tame, and may be seen leading a party of three dozen of his domesticated relatives, who follow him wherever he goes. He is rather smaller and more elegantly shaped than they are. Five or six of the principal feathers in each wing are black ; with this exception he
See Proc. Zool. Soc., 1872, p. 519.
