256 The Irish Naturalist. [December, 



present. But its congener, the Greenshank ( Totanus ca?iesce?is), 

 is much less common, and seems more conservative in its 

 habits— preferring the muddy shores 1 of one part of the Dublin 

 coast rather than another. It is oftener found about Malahide 

 and Portmarnock than at Dublin Bay ; indeed, on the North 

 Bull it seems of late to have become a scarce bird. 



The Black-tailed Godwit {Limosa cegocephala) is very rare 

 in Dublin Bay. I cannot be certain that I have ever seen it 

 till this year, when, on the 20th of September, Mr. Williams 

 pointed one out to me which flew past us on the North Bull. 

 Mr. Williams has observed this species at Portmarnock on 

 previous occasions. 



Bar-tailed Godwits {Limosa lapponicd) remained at the 

 North Bull as late as June 7th, 1899. I have never seen them 

 later, although Mr. R. Warren records them as stopping until 

 the 13th of June where he observed them this year, on the 

 lands of Moyne Abbey, near Balliua, Co. Mayo (see Irish 

 Naturalist, vol. viii., p. 187). 



The Whimbrel {Numenius phceopus) appeared as early as 

 the 1 6th of August, and has remained until the 15th October. 



Among the order Gaviae the I,ittle Tern {Sterna minuta) 

 may be mentioned as having bred in considerable numbers 

 this year about the Dublin coast. In one colony on the 

 Dollymount Strand I counted sixteen nests. This was on the 

 21st May, 1899 {Irish Naturalist, vol. viii., p. 195). 



Probably many eggs were hatched, as the young appeared 

 flying about in large numbers during August and the early 

 part of September. 



Some of the Duck Family (Anseres) appeared at an early 

 date. On the 26th August I observed two Widgeon {Mareca 

 pe7iclopc)> and on the 14th of September a large flock had 

 arrived at Dollymount Strand. I noticed the Golden-eye 

 {Clangula glaucion) on October 7th, and on the day before 

 (October 6th), a L,ong-TAilED Duck {Harelda glacialis) was 

 shot at the North Bull by Mr. O'Comiell, and forwarded to 

 Mr. Williams for preservation. I have not heard of this 

 bird occurring in Dublin Bay before, although I have two 

 specimens from Malahide in my collection. They were shot 

 last winter. 



Trinity College, Dublin. 



1 Like the Turnstone, the Greenshank also inhabits rocks. 



