THE SANDPIPER. 213 



coast of Antrim ; and a day or two afterwards at the little marine 

 bay eastward of Port Ballantrae, near to the Giant's Causeway. 

 At this celebrated locality itself, I remarked the sandpiper on the 

 16th July, 1839; and about the same time, at Eed Bay, on the 

 eastern coast of Antrim. In the middle of July, I have met with 

 it on the rocky coast, near Springvale, county of Down. On 

 July 21, 1840, I observed a pair at the head of the Killeries ; 

 and three days afterwards, saw one at Clifden Bay, Connemara. 

 I am disposed to believe that the bird breeds at some of these 

 marine localities ; indeed, Mr. Massey, late of the Pigeon-house 

 Port, Dublin Bay, informed me that he had seen the young, in 

 the holes of the walls extending into the sea near that place. 



Early in the month of August invariably, and occasionally in 

 the middle of July,* sandpipers, with their young broods, appear 

 on the shores of Belfast Bay, towards its inner extremity, and 

 along the banks of the Lagan, so far as they are subject to the 

 flow of the tide. Three broods with their parents, or as many as 

 twelve to fifteen, are occasionally seen together ; but much more 

 commonly about half that number. Sandpipers generally keep by 

 themselves ; — in one instance only have I known them to be 

 killed in company with other birds, when one fell by night at the 

 same shot with dunlins. Indeed, as I have remarked with some 

 interest, their feeding- ground is different from that of the dunlin, 

 ring plover, &c, these species being generally seen scattered over 

 the banks in search of food, while the sandpipers keep along the 

 margin of the water for that purpose. The sea-shore is the last 

 place frequented previous to the bird's leaving the country. The 

 31st of August is the latest date at which it has come under my 

 own notice about Belfast. 



In spring, this bird very rarely visits the sea-side here ; but 

 proceeds direct, on arrival, to its inland haunts. Prom these, the 

 sandpipers with their broods move by easy stages to the sea. 

 Those which breed about the mountain rivulets near Belfast, 

 bring their young so soon as they are able to fly to the nearest 



* July 14, 1S-1G, is the earliest dale noted. 



