THE DUNLIN Oft PUREE. 289 



young can wing their way from their breeding-haunts, they come 

 hither, and are then most easily approached. I have noted their 

 arrival so early as the 30th of June (1842), when about a dozen 

 appeared. The numbers generally increase rapidly, so that in 

 one or two weeks after the first arrival they are plentiful on 

 the shores. In 1840 they came very early, a large flock having 

 been seen on the 3rd of July, and not less than 200 together on 

 the 5th : the fine spring of that year probably induced them to 

 retire northward earlier than usual. In 1838, great numbers 

 first appeared on the 5th of July : — on the preceding evening an 

 observant person, who was on board a vessel in the harbour, 

 heard the call of the species at so great a height in the air, that 

 he could not see the birds, but immediately afterwards a large 

 flock came in view, and descended from a great elevation almost 

 in a direct line to the beach — doubtless having just arrived on 

 migration from their breeding quarters. Jn the following year, dun- 

 lins were remarkably late, not being observed, at least on favourite 

 banks a mile in length, until the 30th of July; but then they 

 appeared all at once in multitudes. Towards the end of July 

 they have usually arrived in immense flocks, consisting chiefly of 

 young birds of the year. That the majority does not always con- 

 sist of individuals of that age, is, however, shown in the following 

 note by J. R. Garrett, Esq. 



" July 26 and 27, 1848. — I have procured twenty-seven 

 dunlins, shot during these two days; all old birds except six. 

 There were three or four flocks of them on the Kinnegar, where 

 they appear just to have arrived from their breeding-places. 

 During the summer, I observed a few dunlins in the bay almost 

 daily. Scarcely two of the twenty-one adult specimens were 

 alike in plumage." 



At the end of July, I have remarked that every individual of 

 immense flocks seemed, after alighting, from attitude, &c, to be 

 giving forth its note as in spring, thus rendering the whole ooze 

 musical. Although it never occurred to myself to designate the 

 dunlin a song-bird, the best observers of the species in this 

 locality consider that it should be so termed. Their statement 



VOL. II. u 



