Zoology. 1 63 



the *Moor-hen (known as Water-hen) and *Coot are resident 

 and very common. The Crane has only occurred once, 

 R. Lloyd Patterson recordini,^ in the Field that a male was 

 shot 10 May, 1882, near Killyleagh, County Down. (It 

 should be borne in mind that the Common Heron is 

 called "Crane" in the north of Ireland.) 



Limicolse. — The Stone-Curlew has only occurred 

 once. In March 1858 a fine male injured itself by fiying 

 against the telegraph wires near " Thompson's Bank," just 

 outside Belfast, on the Northern Counties line, and was 

 captured. It is now in the Belfast Museum, and is the only 

 Ulster specimen known. The Dotterel is a very rare visitor. 

 Thompson records occurrences in (about) 1834, 1841, and 

 1848, all in County Down; but no more recent visitations 

 are known. The *Ringed Plover is very common ; large 

 flocks are to be seen in winter, and numbers breed in many 

 of our bays and islands. Thompson believed that three 

 Kentish Plovers were shot in Belfast Lough in August 1848, 

 but the specimens were not preserved, and there is no more 

 recent record. Breeding on the mountain-plateaus of both 

 counties, the *Golden Plover occurs in large flocks in winter, 

 and, particularly during frost, affords excellent sport. The 

 Grey Plover has become much more scarce in Belfast Lough 

 than formerly, but is found in some numbers in Strang- 

 ford during the winter. The *Lapwing is resident and very 

 common. The Turnstone occurs in small flocks on our 

 coasts every autumn and winter, and S. M. Stears has seen 

 it in Strangford Lough in June, while I saw five adults on 

 Lough Neagh, 24 May, 1902. The *Oyster-catcher is a 

 common resident, breeding in Strangford Lough and 

 Rathlin, etc., and has several times occurred on Lough 

 Neagh. The Grey Phalarope is an occasional autumn 

 visitor to both counties, and has been obtained on Lough 

 Neagh. The ^Woodcock — first known to breed locally in 

 1834 — breeds freely now in many places here, while large 

 numbers visit us in winter. R. M. Barrington's migration 

 records show that many strike the lanterns on the Copeland 

 Island and Maidens lighthouses while arriving. In the autumn 

 of 1 90 1 a Great Snipe was shot in County Antrim, and sent 

 to Messrs. Williams. The *Common Snipe is found in 



