THE KINGED PLOVER. 101 



lake between Toome and the river Mayola. I have been assured by 

 an old sportsman that a few pair of these birds many years ago 

 bred annually at the Brown Moss, an inland locality of a marshy 

 nature, adjacent to the Green Boghill, county of Antrim, as 

 dunlins also did at the same time : the latter were scattered over 

 a wider district than the ringed plover. Both species have long 

 since ceased to frequent the place, in consequence of its being less 

 in a state of nature than at the period alluded to. They have 

 likewise been observed to be in small numbers during summer at 

 a similar locality in the county of Mayo, — a bog near lough Conn, 

 in which redshanks and dunlins nidify. They were consequently 

 believed to be breeding there. The Rev. T. Knox has remarked, 

 in a letter to me, that " ringed dotterels are plentiful along the 

 river Shannon about Killaloe, where they fly about with sand- 

 pipers :" he had not observed them during winter, and hence 

 considered that they probably came to breed. One which he 

 killed in June, 1832, had its stomach filled with small shells. 

 Three shot at Strangford lough in June contained minute Littorina, 

 Crustacea, and insects. A few specimens from Belfast bay 

 examined in winter, exhibited the remains of crustacea. The 

 ringed dotterel has occasionally been observed in September about 

 the oozy banks of a river (presenting fresh-water rejectamenta 

 only) above a paper mill within the circuit of the town of Belfast. 

 This bird is commonly called Knot by the shore-shooters of 

 Belfast bay, the species properly so called, the Tringa Canutus, 

 being termed Dunne.. Having inquired of an old shooter if 

 he had remarked any peculiarity about this species, his reply 

 was that when feeding they fight very much, the stronger 

 frequently driving away the weaker. Their sociability with 

 dunlins, however, is fatal to them ; for when by themselves 

 the flocks are so small as to be considered unworthy of the 

 fowler's notice ; but when in company with the other, which 

 usually go in large bodies, and consequently are considered 

 " worth a charge of powder and shot," both are slain together. 

 The two species are generally associated on our coast. During 

 spring tides in Belfast bay, when these birds are driven to 



