DUBLIN NATUBAL HISTOBT 80CIETT. 73 



of the Birds of Ireland, whether Native, Casual Visitors, or Birds of Passage, 

 from Observations, &c." In this catalogue we find enumerated, amongst others, 

 the following : — 



Ardea grus, the Crane ; 



Ardea cinerea, the Heron ; 



Ardea stellaria, the Bittern ; 

 80 that there can be no doubt whatever the crane was a visitant to our shores 

 in Dr. Brown's time. His Catalogue is interesting, as showing the existence at 

 that period of several species which have become extinct, such as Tetrao uro- 

 eallus, Cock of the Woods, &c. He also compiled a catalogue of the fishes that 

 frequent our rivers and shores. His death occurred in MW. 



MARCH, 1853. 



ON THE TURNSTONE (STBVPSILAS INTERPRES). BT CHARLES FARBAN, M.D. 



The following brief observations were suggested by a perusal of the charm, 

 ing work, ''The Natural History of Ireland," by the late and ever to be la. 

 mented William Thompson, the naturalist and accomplished gentleman, whose 

 memory must be held in veneration by the lovers of the science of Natural His- 

 tory : — 



When mentioning his name, I cannot forbear quoting the elegant passage 

 contained in the University Magazine of April, 1852, in recording his death. 

 *♦ In the death of William Thompson, the cultivation of Irish Natural History has 

 experienced a loss which we dare not attempt to estimate. It was not alone by 

 his personal investigations that he advanced the progress of natural historv — his 

 delight was to see others carrying out what he had commenced ; utterly free 

 from envy, he was always ready to help onwards in the same path of science the 

 less experienced searcher after truth ; and many a living naturalist owes what- 

 ever-success has subsequently attended his career to the encouragement thus 

 cordially given." Such was William Thompson, and such I had ever found him. 

 To proceed— In that part of his work which is devoted to the description of the 

 Turnstone (Strepsilas interpres), Mr. Thompson remarks the comparatively 

 small number of those birds in respect to the other shore birds. Thus, he ob- 

 serves, when speaking of the Dunlin or Purre (Tringa variabilis), "the count- 

 less flocks" — or of the Knot (Tringa canutus), "great numbers;" but of the 

 Turnstone he says they appear in " small flocks ;" and he particularizes the har- 

 bours of Waterford and Youghal, where the species in the former place is con- 

 sidered as not uncommon — in the latter as being the reverse, clearly shovring 

 that in neither place they have been remarked for their numbers. I can well 

 picture to myself the surprise which would have been excited in the mind of this 

 faithful observer of nature had I had the good fortune of pointing out to him a 

 sight which I daily witness when at home at Clonea, near Dungarvan, a spot 

 Tery nearly equidistant from Waterford and Youghal ; to use his own expression 

 — •♦ a countless -flock of Turnstones;" but to keep the calculation within bounds, 

 their numbers may, in a degree, be estimated from the following fact : a flock, 

 separated by some casualty from the main body, flew past me ; this had subdi. 

 vided itself into two distinct bodies — the vanguard consisted, as nearly as 1 could 

 count, of one hundred birds; the other body was four times the size; consequently 

 there were nearly five hundred in that flock, and yet this was but a fraction of 

 the whole. Those birds are generally associated with the purre and ring dot- 

 terel, but they invariably alight together, and can be clearly distinguished both 

 in their flight and descent from their companions by the bright silver bars on 

 their wings. From not being much persecuted by the gun, they permit a near 

 approach, and the peculiar mode of seeking their food is easily seen. 1 cannot 

 doubt but this part of the coast, consisting of two very elevated beaches, pos- 

 sesses sufiicient attractions to cause the bird to withdraw from tlic localities of 



