THE PIGMY CURLEW. 287 



bay, and not one was seen again during the season. The Gratta- 

 tores generally were particularly abundant in Belfast Bay during 

 the autumn of 1839. In 1840, again, pigmy curlews were plen- 

 tiful, and appeared so early as the 25th of August : their numbers 

 increased until the 7 th of September, and then they nearly all left 

 the bay : — -an early arrival is generally followed by an early de- 

 parture. In 1843, flocks consisting of about a dozen birds were 

 observed, from the 1st to the 18th of September, when I was 

 informed of the circumstance. They usually keep to the shores 

 of the bay, but in September and October 1836, they frequented 

 the river Lagan (within flow of the tide at high water) in flocks ; 

 on the 6th of the latter month, I observed nine in company, 

 busily feeding at the edge of the river, at Ormeau Bridge : in the 

 following year, also, they frequented the tidal portion of that river. 



In reference to the appearance of this bird in spring, I have 

 but one note, which, not being communicated until some years 

 after the occurrence, should not perhaps be implicitly relied on. 

 It relates to four individuals being killed at this period of the 

 year, from a flock of thirty to forty at the Lagan. 



In the year 1831, 1 was shown a drawing of one of these birds, 

 which had been shot in company with ring dotterels at Clontarf, 

 Dublin Bay : subsequently eleven, obtained there about October 

 1836, were submitted to my examination, and several more were 

 killed on the 19th or 21st of December that year. On the 

 3rd of November, 1837, Mr. H. H. Dombrain shot one from a 

 very small flock at Lurgan Green, on the coast of Louth. In July 

 1844, one was observed on the shore near Clifden (Gal way), by 

 the Rev. George Robinson. This species has occasionally been 

 seen in large numbers in Cork Harbour, by Wm. Crawford, Esq. 

 On the 29th of October, 1847, he killed, at a shot with his large 

 strand-gun, sixty of them, together with ten dunlins. On the 

 shores only of Antrim, Down, Louth, Dublin, Cork, and Galway, 

 I have positively known this bird to occur ; but there can be no 

 doubt that it annually visits all suitable places along the range 

 of at least our eastern and southern coast. It is interesting to 

 perceive that at the next place noticed, southward of Belfast 



