PREFACE. XV 



of species bears no comparison to the area ; thus, there are in the 

 parish of Selbome 120 species; within the same space around 

 Belfast 185 ; in Ireland 262 ; in the British Islands generally 

 320 j * in Europe 503 ; f in North America 471 ; t in Australia 

 636; X in the world 5,000. || 



The neighbourhood of Belfast, including the bay,§ may be 

 considered too fully dwelt upon throughout this work ; but what 

 is alluded to in this locality should, unless mentioned as of a 

 local nature, be viewed in the light of an epitome of the general 

 habits or economy of the species. Dates, winch may seem too 

 fully given, are interesting in a statistical point of view, as 

 the rapid changes made by man on the material world, affect 

 birds to a great extent. Nowhere is this more required than in 

 connection with the place just named, as railways lately constructed 

 on both sides of the bay, have diminished to a great extent the 

 feeding-ground of the Grallatorial and Natatorial birds. Inte- 

 resting peculiarities respecting the locality, and the changes 

 effected, will be found noticed under curlew, and other species. 

 The great increase of shipping of late years, and the steam-vessels 

 in particular, have already had a great effect upon them. The swivel- 

 guns, too, tell a deadly tale. The adjacent Strangford lough, owing 

 to its comparative retirement, is becoming annually more and more 

 resorted to by birds which would otherwise remain in Belfast bay. 



* Jenyns in 1843 ; several species since added. 



f Prince of Canino's Comparative Catal. Birds Europe and North America, 1838. 



\ Gould. Introd. to Birds of Australia, 1848. 



|| Strickland, Report on Ornithology, Brit. Assoc. Reports, 1844, p. 218. It 

 has heen lately remarked that although this is about the number accurately known, 

 there may be in the world 6,000 species. Agassiz and Gould's Principles of 

 Zoology, p. 3, (1848). 



§ The plate in Hawker's Instructions to Young Sportsmen, &c. entitled 

 " Approaching Wild-fowl preparatory to the Flowing Tide," gives a good idea of the 

 gullets, as they are called, of Belfast bay. 



