242 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



Curlew is not at all uncommon, Mr. Williams says, 

 near Dublin Bay, but then only in the month of 

 September. 



THE RUFF (Machetes pugnax) is another wader 

 that appears the same month (September), and has 

 been occasionally sent to Mr. Williams, for preser- 

 vation, from north, south, east and west. 



THE SANDERLING (Calidris arenaria) is obtained 

 very late in Dublin Bay, even to the last week of 

 May. Dr. H. L. Cox sent Mr. Williams ten, in 

 the spring of 1878, all in full breeding plumage, 

 and obtained at one discharge. Though far from 

 common, it is not in my experience a rare species in 

 Ireland. 



THE GREY PHALAROPE (Pkalaropus fulicarius) is 

 rare. I never personally met with more than three in 

 Ireland, two of which I shot. I was watching some 

 Redshanks and Sandpipers feeding greedily on a 

 tiny spot of ooze that was fast being covered by 

 the flowing tide. At length these were in danger 

 of being swamped and had to quit. But I noticed 

 two small birds remain and swim over the spot 

 when their companions had flown.* On pushing 

 nearer they rose and flew, when I shot both, and at 



* All birds that wade, even Cock and Snipe, can swim fairly well 

 on an emergency, and even dive, or I would rather say sink, as they 

 can travel but poorly under water, having no webs to their feet to 

 force them along. Plover can swim well, the " Golden " especially. 

 But all the species have the power of floating buoyantly on the sur- 

 face when wounded and fallen therein. I have even seen them rise 

 with tolerable ease after recovery from the blow of the shot. This 

 power is often of great service to them, but it is only in calm water 

 they can float and swim dry. When soaked they cannot rise, as the 

 smallest waves will rumple and so penetrate their plumage ; but 

 after a voluntary submersion I have seen them do so. 



