KIDD'S OWN JOUENAL. 



69 



rise up, and with them the golden plover, 

 redshanks, &c, leaving the weary sports- 

 man to toil over the sandbanks again and 

 again without once getting a shot. 



The golden plover I found in flocks of 

 thirty or forty. At full tide, these birds 

 leave the coast for the moors and uplands, 

 and there await the turn of the tide. I 

 was frequently astonished at the regularity 

 witli which they returned to the shore. 

 At the very precise period of the tide 

 beginning to ebb, did they make their ap- 

 pearance from the hills. Redshanks were 

 common, frequenting the sandbanks, and 

 mixing with the curlews. Oyster catchers, 

 (called there u sea-pies") were also common, 

 generally six or seven together. Ring plovers 

 were in abundance. I saw from two to three 

 hundred in a flock, one day. It is a pretty 

 sight to see these little birds together upon 

 the sand, running about in search of insects ; 

 now and then giving chase to each other, 

 and opening out their wings as they run. 

 They are very tame, and will allow a person 

 to come within fifteen yards of them. Puffins 

 were frequently to be met with, out in the 

 bay ; generally in pairs. They remain a 

 considerable time under water, and go a 

 great distance at each dive. 



Purres were common on the sand- 

 banks ; they fly very swiftly ; indeed, I 

 saw no sea bird equal to them. Of divers, 

 there were two or three kinds, very difficult 

 to kill, invariably ducking to the flash. I 

 procured two very pretty specimens. They 

 are almost always found in pairs. One day 

 I came upon an old one, and a brood of 

 young ones, close in shore. I shot one of 

 the latter, which was of a brownish plumage, 

 and had a deeply serrated beak. Wild 

 ducks were common, frequenting the marshy 

 ground near the shore. Of ravens, I saw 

 but one in the mountains, above Ballycroy. 

 Rooks were common enough. The hooded- 

 crow frequented the rocks about the shore, 

 picking up small fish, &c. Snipes were very 

 numerous in the marshes and bogs, but were 

 difficult to get at, in consequence of the in- 

 secure state of the surface. One minute I 

 was on hard soil, the next up to my middle 

 in soft, pulpy matter. Magpies were com- 

 mon about the cultivated ground. The 

 pretty little wheat-ear I found in small 

 flocks, among the rocks on the mountain 

 sides ; and the sky-lark might be heard every 

 day. The little wren too was by no means 

 scarce, and generally frequented the stone 

 walls. The stone-chat I found in pairs. 

 One pair of these birds frequented our cabin. 

 The male was very tame, and was to be seen 

 each day perched upon the stone wall, 

 chattering and flirting his tale about. On 

 the moor, the red grouse occurred in great, 

 plenty ; as also the tit-lark. The merlin and 



sparrow-hawk were not uncommon on the 

 moors ; a specimen of the former I brought 

 home with me alive. 



The bay was well supplied with the dif- 

 ferent kinds of fish ; and I saw seals every 

 time I went out. They would not, however, 

 allow the boat to come near them, always 

 popping their heads under water when we 

 came within eighty or a hundred yards. 

 These animals must live famously in Clew 

 Bay, for there is no want of food. I saw 

 many porpoises rolling about. It is wonder- 

 ful to hear the roar the mackerel make, when 

 they arrive in the bay. Many a time did I 

 tell the boatmen to keep silence, that I 

 might listen to them. As they crowd into 

 the bay during their annual migration, large 

 shoals keep together, and in close phalanx 

 press swiftly along near the surface. In 

 doing so they cause a sound similar to the 

 breaking of the surf on a lee shore. 



The herring season commenced while I 

 was there ; and it was certainly a droll si^ht 

 to see the cargoes of human beings that set 

 out to assist the fishermen. Every boat 

 contained a family ; and Irish families are 

 not small. Such shouts and such laughter 

 took place as the nets were hauled on board 

 these crazy vessels at starting ! The native 

 language, mingled with the harsh screams of 

 the sea-birds, caused a chaos of noise, 

 scarcely to be credited. Each boat had a 

 peat fire in it, made upon a foundation of a 

 few stones ; and as the time passed on, boats 

 might be seen pulling out from among the 

 different islands, all making for one point 

 (the fishing ground, a particular part of the 

 bay), till at last a miniature fleet was formed, 

 and they at once prepared for the night's 

 occupation. 



I did intend to mention the various 

 methods of taking fish in Clew Bay, but I 

 am well aware that our " Own Journal" 

 must not be unduly encroached upon. Suf- 

 fice it to say, that during my stay I was pre- 

 sent at the capture of some codfish (young), 

 maiden ray, coal-fish, mullet, and gurnard. 

 All about the rocky shore, and sandy bays, 

 whole hosts of crabs, cockles, shrimps, 

 prawns, rasor-fish, mussels, &c, were to be 

 found ; and one day I was offered a splendid 

 John Dory for a mere trifle. 



Allow me, Mr. Editor, before I conclude 

 this little sketch of my ramble to the " land 

 of the west," to inform you that in the 

 several " Notes of a Sportsman and Natura- 

 list," I may hereafter trouble you with, you 

 must never expect elegance of composition 

 from one whose hand is more accustomed to 

 grasp his " trusty double" than his " ever- 

 lasting gold pen." 



John Matthew Jones, M.Z.S. 

 Montgomery, North Wales, 

 Feb. 10, 1853. 



