33 SCOLOPAC1D.E. 



Belfast Museum. The latter is a very handsome specimen ; much 

 of the dorsal plumage being of a very dark rich bronze, in 

 addition to the whole under surface of the body from the bill to 

 near the vent being reddish buff. Mr. E. Chute mentions his 

 having seen the " red sandpiper " of Bewick, (which is the knot 

 in summer plumage,) shot near Tralee. The earliest period at 

 which I have known the full winter plumage assumed was on the 

 26th of September (1846), when a bird in that state was brought 

 to me : others killed on the same day were in an intermediate 

 state between summer and winter costume. Almost every bird 

 of this species shot in the north of Ireland during autumn is 

 in the plumage attributed to the young of the year ; — with a 

 double band of white and black to the tip of each dorsal 

 feather. 



This sandpiper is doubtless abundant in the oozy bays generally, 

 of at least the northern, eastern, and southern coasts ; and I 

 should expect of the western coast also ; but I shall only name the 

 localities whence positive information has been received. In the 

 north-west of Donegal it has been met with, but is considered 

 " very rare."* It is numerous in the bay of Drogheda, and com- 

 mon from August till March about Baldoyle, Dublin Bay.f Mr. 

 Poole notes it as a winter visitant to the coast of Wexford, and 

 that he has occasionally seen immense numbers on sale in the 

 town of that name ; but that at other times several months pass 

 without a single bird being obtained. On some parts of the coast 

 of Waterford it is not uncommon ; and a specimen has been shot 

 inland a few miles from Clonmel.J This bird is as yet only 

 known in Cork Harbour from a few individuals having been 

 obtained in different years between August and January. || It 

 was considered very common on the coast of Kerry by the late 

 Mr. T. P. Neligan, who kindly supplied me with full information 

 on the birds of that county in 1837. Mr. R. Chute, knowing 

 it only as a rare bird there until 18-16, since mentioned his 



• Mr. J. V. Stewart. t Mr. R. J. Montgomery. 



+ Mr. R. Davis, jim. || Dr. J. R. Harvey of Cork. 



