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.In autumn it occurs, not uncommonly, along the east coast in small family parties of half a 

 dozen birds, about the middle of August, rarely coming far inland, though I have on occasions 

 shot them in grass-fields seven or eight miles from the sea. They feed in company with Curlews, 

 but always keep slightly apart from these birds ; are not nearly so shy as the Curlews, and often 

 continue feeding long after the Curlews have taken alarm and flown away. They do not remain 

 long on the Stirlingshire coast, nor in the counties bordering the Firth of Forth, but continue 

 their southward migration after resting for two or three weeks at most." 



In Ireland it occurs only during the seasons of migration, not having, so far as we can 

 ascertain, been known to breed there. Thompson writes that " in the month of April or May 

 it appears in large flocks along the line of the eastern coast — on that of Wexford, Dublin, 

 Louth, Down, Antrim, &c. As the Whimbrel is not found to the westward of Ireland within 

 the latitude of this island, it is interesting to know that these migratory bodies move as regularly 

 along the western as the eastern coast. Thus they are ' very common in April and May near 

 Tralee, in Kerry,' appear in large flocks about Roundstone, on the Galway coast, in May, and 

 remain during that month, where they are unknown at other times. The same is reported of 

 them on the coast of Donegal. They likewise take an inland course of flight, appearing, among 

 other places, at the marshes below Killaloe, on the Shannon, every spring, and in the high 

 moory ground about Lough Conn, in Mayo. Their popular name everywhere has the word May 

 connected with it — as May-bird, May-fowl, &c. — in consequence of their appearance in that 

 month. A popular error exists in some places, that they are the young of the Curlew. This 

 has arisen, not merely from the general resemblance of the species, and the Whimbrel being 

 always much the smaller of the two, but from its being also so much easier of access than the 

 other, believed to be its parent. On the arrival of the flocks in spring they are often very tame, 

 and may be openly approached within gun-shot ; but persecution soon renders them wild. 



" Notes kept of the arrival of the Whimbrel in Belfast Bay, for many years, announce its 

 earliest appearance on the 10th of April (in 1843), and the next earliest on the 22nd of that 

 month (in 1838 and 1845). It remains generally from about four to six weeks. Some were 

 seen so late as the 18th of June in 1843 (the year of their earlist arrival), and in the following- 

 year until the 14th of that month. 



" They reappear very soon after the breeding-season, having been observed every year. The 

 numbers gradually increase from the time of their being first seen. During August they are 

 most numerous in the bay, whence they are chiefly gone by the end of September. They retui-n 

 in autumn along the line of the eastern coast towards their winter haunts in much smaller 

 quantity than they went forth in spring, not more than about one being seen in some years at 

 the former for ten at the latter season ; an ordinary flock will consist of thirty in the spring, 

 and of three in the autumn. The relative number on the entire coast will not, perhaps, be 

 much above this proportion. In Cork Harbour Whimbrels are said to appear in considerable 

 flocks in spring, but a few only to be seen in autumn. My correspondents do not mention this 

 bird as visiting the western coast at the latter season ; but its numbers are now so small where 

 they do appear that they might pass unobserved, though in spring the large flocks are conspicuous 

 on the shores. 



" Not only is the Whimbrel, as already remarked, the only bird among our Scolopacidse of 



2i 



