108 CHARADRIID^. 



weeks there had been a good many in Tralee market. It is said 

 to visit the shores of Connemara. 



During two seasons, in my younger days, much devoted to shore- 

 shooting in Belfast bay, I looked forward with extreme pleasure 

 to the coming of the grey plover, which, being the latest of our 

 regular autumnal visitants in making its appearance, completed, 

 as it were, the catalogue of migrants for the season ; and the whole 

 riches of the beautiful order of birds to which it belongs were 

 strewn upon our coasts. Early in the bright and lovely October 

 mornings, after a slight frost, I was accustomed to meet with this 

 bird in little flocks, feeding at low water about the plashy spots 

 in the banks of Zostera, when, wary as it always was, I occasion- 

 ally managed to get a successful shot. The species was particu- 

 larly interesting to me, from offering conspicuously, in its general 

 contour — large head, full bright eye, and short bill — such a con- 

 trast to the other shore-birds, the Numenii, Limosa, Totani, and 

 Tringce, aided perhaps by association with our beautiful golden 

 plover, the denizen of our wild mountain moors. 



Two or three grey plover generally appear together, and any 

 number to about a dozen is not rare. Of late years the species 

 has been rather more numerous. On Sept. 26, 1846, one flock 

 of above twenty, and three smaller flocks, were observed ; nine 

 birds were procured at two shots. Montagu, probably with 

 reference to Devonshire, remarked that " seldom more than six 

 or seven are seen in a flock;" and our oldest shore-shooter before 

 alluded to, remarked to me many years ago that he had rarely 

 observed more than eight together. According to Wilson and 

 Audubon, it is much more numerous in the United States of 

 America. Rarely is this bird associated with other species in 

 Belfast bay. An intelligent shooter remarks that, although very 

 wary at all times, it seems to be even more so by night than day, 

 as he can never at that time obtain ..a shot, though he can occa- 

 sionally by day. This, he considers, may be owing to the bird's 

 seeing him better than he can distinguish it. The form of the 

 eye indeed tells us that its sight must be superior to that of 

 man by night. The grey plover, consequently, feeds much at this 



