124 CHARADlUIDiE. 



sea-side of the North Bull, where I never saw more than, I should 

 think, from fifteen to twenty at a time — and not more than one 

 or two such flocks in a day. In Drogheda bay, they frequent the 

 same sort of locality, never coming up the river at low water, as 

 the purres, ring dotterels, red shanks, &c. do, to feed on the mud 

 banks ; but are always to be found on the surface of the strand, at 

 the edge of the water, in flocks of from twenty to a hundred or 

 more. In a walk from the entrance of the Boyne to Clogher- 

 head (about five miles of strand), I have seen two or three flocks, 

 containing from sixty to a hundred individuals. If gone up to 

 cautiously, they allow of a very near approach; — much more so 

 than any other of the shore birds, except the ring dotterel. One 

 day last winter I wanted some specimens, and, on firing into a 

 large flock as they passed me, knocked down twenty-two, all san- 

 derlings. They occasionally mix with the purres, but keep gene- 

 rally by themselves. I cannot state exactly the time of their 

 arrival ; but I have shot them in Dublin bay in September." 



At Youghal, they were considered rare by Mr. E. Ball ; but 

 on the beach at Clay Castle near that town, he has seen them in 

 winter in little flocks — three or four together, and has been much 

 interested in observing their habit of running with great rapidity 

 to the base of a huge retiring wave, and back again at a similar 

 pace, so as to avoid being wetted by the next advancing one. 

 The# occasionally, he remarks, appeared almost white at that 

 season. Sanderlings (as reported to me in 1837) are of common 

 occurrence on the coast of Kerry.* On the sand hills at Castle- 

 gregory, in that county, Mr. R. Chute shot four or five in adult 

 plumage (though all differing a little from each other), on the 

 31st of May, 1841. From their appearance at this season he 

 imagined they might be breeding ; but could not find any nests. 

 The species is said to be common at Connemara.t 



On the 31st August, 1839, J saw one on the beach at Ballan- 

 trae, Ayrshire. 



* M. T. F. Neligau. t Mc Calla. 



