578 Natural History in Ireland : — 



Belfast Museum. — A meeting of the Natural History 

 Society was held on March 28., when a paper was read, con- 

 taining notices of some rare birds lately killed in the vicinity 

 of Belfast, specimens of which were exhibited. The birds 

 were: — The Rough-legged falcon (Falco iagopus Linn,), 

 pygmy sandpiper (Tringa subarquata Temm.\ little sandpiper 

 (Tringa minuta Temm.\ ruff (Tringa pugnax Linn.\ spotted 

 redshank (Totanus fiiscus Leisler), grey phalarope (Phala- 

 ropus platyrhyncus Temm.), gan net (variety ofSula klba, Mei/er) , 

 The reader stated that he believed three of these birds, the 

 rough-legged falcon, little sandpiper, and spotted redshank, 

 were new to the Irish fauna, not having occurred to the late 

 Mr. Templeton ; and that the pygmy sandpiper, which is 

 rare to English and Continental naturalists, is not so here. 

 Montagu, in the supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary, 

 published in the year 1813, mentioned that he had not heard 

 of the ruff being found so far west as Ireland ; and Mr. 

 Rennie, in his late edition of the same work, published last 

 year, has repeated the passage, without comment. That the 

 range of these birds is wider than either of these authors sup- 

 posed, is manifest from the fact, that several specimens of the 

 ruff have been taken in this neighbourhood during the last 

 twelve years. {Northern Whig, March 29. 1832.) 



DONEGAL. 



A List of, and Remarks on, some of the Mammalious Animals, 

 and the Birds, met *mith in the Three Years ^preceding December 

 4. 1828, on the Northern Coast of Donegal, By John V. 

 Stewart, Esq., of Ards House. — From the remarks prefixed 

 to the list, we learn that our correspondent's observation had 

 been confined almost entirely to the parish in which he 

 resides, and been extended only over a period of three years. 

 Had greater space and time been included, a richer catalogue 

 of species might have been presented, and other departments 

 of the animal kingdom included, which are here omitted. 

 He considers that the coast of Donegal has been but little 

 or not at all explored ; and that it is very likely indeed to 

 prove a fruitful field to the exploring naturalist. From its 

 northern situation, and the diversified nature of its coast and 

 soil, he deems it an especially eligible situation for investigat- 

 ing birds, and becoming acquainted with the migratory habits 

 and change of plumage of many species. Our author has 

 the following introductory remarks to his list : — 



I have, in the following list, given Temminck's classes, 

 but adhered to the names of Linnaeus, and added to them the 

 English names of Bewick, as, from the exactness of his plates 



