PREFACE. 
vn 
of Straiigford Lough from the unintentional disturbance or the 
persecution which they experience in Belfast Bay, is 333 feet in 
height ; but the latter species usually take a course a little more 
to the southward, wdiere the hills are of less elevation. The 
land intervening between the two haunts of the birds is about 
eight miles and a half in extent. 
Strangford Lough, which is occasionally alluded to, covers, 
exclusive of its islands, a somewhat similar area to Belfast Bay, 
and, like it, possesses a great extent of soft oozy soil at low water. 
There is also much sand, gravel, stones, and, towards the entrance, 
a low rocky coast. 
Although the same species of birds frequent the two localities, 
these are of a very different configuration, Belfast Bay opening 
widely at its entrance towards the north-east, and Strangford 
Lough having a narrow river-like entrance nearly five miles in 
length opening towards the south. It is also studded with very 
numerous islands, while the other is islandless (one or twm petty 
little islets near the shore being unworthy of forming an ex- 
ception). The Copeland Islands lie outside its entrance. A 
considerable river, too, comparatively with the size of the locality, 
flows into Belfast Bay, while Strangford Lough is not supplied 
with any stream of much volume. Hence, its waters are much 
more saline than those in at least the upper half of the more 
northern bay. 
