40 The Irish Nahiralist. April, 



the Oyster-catcher, Ringed Plover and Redshank. A few 

 Rock Pipits also occur. This latter species was also seen 

 in the city in another part, by Mr. C. B. Moffat, who tells 

 me he saw one for some time in Hardwicke Street, running 

 about a puddle. 



The buoys at the mouth of the Liffey are often occupied 

 by Cormorants and Shags, and occasionally by the Great 

 Black-backed Gull, which sometimes comes into the mouth 

 of the river in winter. The Cormorants are often seen 

 fl^dng over the city on their way to inland feeding grounds, 

 as also is the Heron, especially near the Custom House. 

 Hooded Crows and Lapwings arc to be seen flying over 

 also on occasion. The Red-breasted Merganser is a regular 

 winter visitor to Dublin Bay from September to April and 

 odd birds frequently occur in the region of the Alexandra 

 Basin. 



Mute Swans often come down the river, even as far as 

 the end of the North Wall. Mr. Moffat tells me of having 

 seen a flock of geese (probably White-fronted) flying over the 

 river, while Watters reports a flock of Bernacle Geese which 

 he saw flying quite low down over Ringsend in January, 

 1850. Mallards and Pochards come to the river in hard 

 weather, and Watters saw Scaups in some numbers within 

 gunshot of the North Wall, and he also tells of a Common 

 Scoter being taken while searching for food in the bottom 

 of a ditch at Beggar's Bush. 



Nine species of gull are represented from the River 

 Liffey. The Herring and Black-headed Gulls are com- 

 monest, and are seen all the year round, though only non- 

 breeding and immature birds remain m the breeding season. 

 Most of the breeding birds have left by April, Many 

 people erroneously think that the Black-headed Gull in 

 its winter plumage is a distinct species from this gull in its 

 breeding plumage, when it has assumed the hood, which 

 the adult birds do in February, though the immature birds 

 are a month later in assuming it. The next commonest 

 is the Lesser Black-backed Gull, which is most numerous 

 in spring and summer, w^hen it occurs on the canals also. 

 It is almost, if not entirely absent in December, January, 

 and most of February. A favourite haunt of this bird is 



