84 
CHARADlllIDiE. 
For several years I particularly noted down the period of the 
arrival of the migratory flocks to the county Antrim mountains, 
near Belfast, where they make their appearance in September ; 
— sometimes early in the month. At this period their mourn- 
ful cry is particularly pleasing, when heard, as it occasionally is, 
at the same time with the loud gallant crowing of the grouse, and 
the tender bleating of the snipe. Here, until of late years, they 
remained, amply provided with food, in the marshy and boggy 
portions of the mountains until spring, unless the severity of 
frost or snow drove them to the low-lying humid tracts, or to 
the sea-shore, — a circumstance of unfrequent occurrence in our 
equable climate. 
Within the last very few years, when much attention has been 
given to the draining of our mountain bogs, a change has taken 
place with regard to this bird, which frequents the sea-shore 
more than formerly. It sometimes now appears in Belfast bay, 
in mild as well as severe weather, and very early in the autumn. 
On the 29th August, 1841, a few were obtained there; and on 
the 30th of the same month, in 1843, a flock of from 150 to 200 
birds was seen, and continued to appear, either separated into 
small parties or all together, until the 1st November, after which 
no notice was taken of them. Throughout September, 1844, 
they frequented the bay. On the 27th of that month eighteen 
were killed at one shot, from a flock of about seventy or eighty. 
In winter, of course, many more are obtained. The greatest 
quantity 1 have known to be killed there at one discharge, and 
bagged, was 108, which, on the 22nd of January 1848, fell 
to the swivel-gun of a wild-fowl shooter. A number more were 
killed and wounded, several of which were picked up by other 
persons. On the oozy banks of the bay, these birds have abun- 
dance of food at all seasons, consisting (as I have repeatedly had 
proof by dissection) chiefly of small testaceous mollusca of the 
genera Rissoa, Littorina, and Lacuna, together with the fry of the 
common mussel edulis). On looking to the stomachs of 
birds killed inland at difterent times, they were found to contain in- 
sect and vegetable food of various kinds, together with earth-worms. 
