THE BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 223 



to have done so in Ireland. A pair which were shot early in July 

 1834, about the banks of the Royal Canal, near its western termi- 

 nation, in the county of Longford, may have contemplated nidifi- 

 cation there. I saw the specimens in Mr. Glennon's shop, Dublin. 



This godwit comes in extremely limited numbers to the north of 

 Ireland, in the autumn, and sometimes early in the season. A 

 young bird was shot in Belfast Bay, on the 26th of August, 1831, 

 and at the beginning of the same month of 1837, two were 

 killed.* September is the usual time of its appearance, and 

 also of that of the bar- tailed godwit; — after October it is very 

 seldom met with. I had not known its occurrence in the north 

 in spring until the 6th of March, 1846, when one was shot at 

 the last-named locality. But, indeed, until about that period, 

 the black-tailed godwit was known only to the most observant 

 shooters there (who pursue their occupation both by night and 

 day) as an autumnal visitant; it was then shot at mid -winter 

 likewise. On the 12th of June, 1828, three birds were seen 

 in this bay, by Dr. J. D. Marshall, winch both he and a 

 shooter who accompanied him believed to be the black-tailed 

 godwit. They appeared to be in very fine plumage, but would 

 not admit of an approach within gun-shot. If not of this species, 

 they must have been the Limosa rufa in its full red summer 

 plumage. 



In the autumn of 1822, when common godwits were so 

 remarkably abundant in the north of Ireland, more of the black- 

 tailed species were likewise seen than either before that time or 

 since. Five, which were killed at one shot at "Whitehouse Point, 

 Belfast Bay, were sent to a bird-preserver's, as well as several 

 others. One or two specimens only are commonly received by 

 him in a season. At that time also (end of September 1822) 

 four were shot from a flock consisting of sixteen or seventeen in- 

 dividuals, by the oldest shore-shooter of the bay, who had never 

 killed the bird before, though he had observed it and remarked 

 its different colour and superior size to that of the common 



* Dr. J. D. Marshall. 



