236 The Irish Nattcralist. 



cow-dung. I have more than once seen a I^apwing fly scream- 

 ing at a Heron, which was evidently in dangerous proximity 

 to its young, no doubt an acceptable meal to a Heron. 



The DuNiviN is a bird that I have met with in breeding 

 plumage, in which it is recognisable by its black breast-spot, 

 on lyough Arrow, lyough Sheelin, I^ough Gowna, I^ough Ree, 

 ■^'Glen lyough, ^'%ough Iron, the Shannon near Banagher and 

 again near Athlone, Lough Derg, and I^ough Annagh. Mrs. 

 Croasdaile has seen one on nth May, on a lough near Rhynn, 

 Queen's Co. I found the nest with eggs, incubation just com- 

 menced, on the 14th June, 1891. It was among coarse grass, 

 where the Inny flows into I^ough Iron. I identified the bird 

 fully. Mrs. Battersby has in her collection a series of Dunlin's 

 eggs, taken on the shores of Glen Lough, on the borders of West- 

 meath and Longford. She says the bird is a spring visitor 

 there. On Lough Annagh, King's Co., I saw a party of four- 

 teen in breeding plumage, on 3otli April, 1892. On ist June, 

 1893, I saw a party of four on an island in Lough Ree, which 

 let me approach within ten yards. These could hardly have 

 been breeding, but those that I saw on the *' callows" of the 

 Shannon, on Lough Gowna and Lough Sheelin, and else- 

 where, were feeding busily, and I took them to be males for- 

 aging for hatching females, the localities being suitable, as 

 well as the season — the end of May and beginning of June. 

 The Dunlin does not seem to have been previously recorded 

 as breeding in the midland counties. 



The Common Sandpipkr is reported to breed in every Irish 

 county, except Kilkenny, Wexford, and Waterford. I have 

 observed it commonly on the various lakes I visited, as well 

 as on the Shannon. There is no more noticeable bird on the 

 lake-shores, which are enlivened by its musical, sustained cry 

 as it skims over the water. On Lough Derg, Sandpipers' nests 

 contained hard-set eggs by the end of May. On Lough Sheelin 

 they were not so far advanced by the nth June. In Holly- 

 brook demesne is a promontory running into Lough Arrow, 

 covered with tall Beech, beneath which I saw a Sandpiper 

 hatching, while another had been known to nest on a high 

 moSvSy bank, beside a .shrubbery walk, beneath a large Beech. 



The REDSHANK breeds commonly throughout the parts of 

 Ireland we have noticed. Along the "callows" of the Shan- 

 non these birds are exceedingly numerous, and some were 



