86 
CHAllADRIIDiE. 
nearer to the coast or migrate to the southern parts of the king- 
dom/^'^' Sir Wm. Jardiiie^ too^ remarks, that this species is on 
the coasts generally in vast flocks during winter/^t 
To give some idea of the numbers (though not great), &c., of 
golden plover frequenting the Belfast mountains, one note may 
be introduced : — Oct. 19, 1833. — During a botanical walk to-day 
over the mountains and bogs, the golden plover was met with five 
times : a few were on the top of Lyle hill, a dry pasture inter- 
mixed with heath ; about twenty-five were associated with as many 
lap-wings in a bog from which both species rose at the same 
moment, and kept together for some time on wing, but eventually 
separated on the heath near the top of a mountain, where a large 
flock of golden plover had already taken their stand /J at the 
base of Aughnabrack about thirty were seen ; and on the hill 
called the Sheepheads, not less than a hundred appeared : all 
these were distinct flocks. Three of these flocks admitted my 
approach within about thirty paces, though, after being persecuted, 
they become very wild. Their tameness thus early in the season 
is attributable to their being as yet undisturbed or shot at by 
sportsmen, who rarely visit this quarter except for snipe-shooting, 
which has not yet well commenced.'’^ 
There is often apparently an increase to the number of our 
birds in these localities as winter advances, caused probably by 
the severity of weather nortlnvards. In the months of December 
and January, in difterent years, I have observed large flocks ; as 
on the 5th of December, 1831, wLen three, consisting each of 
about two hundred birds, appeared. 
The author of Wild Sports of the WesV^ remarks, witli 
reference to the county of Mayo — winter coming on with giant 
strides — tliat Gray [golden] plover must migrate in thousands 
hither. Nothing else could account for the immense flocks tliat 
have been seen, and will continue, as I am informed, to arrive. 
* Illus. Blit. Orn., vol. ii, p. 234. f Brit. Birds, vol. iii, p. 291. 
t This plover and the lapwing have been killed at the same shot in severe weather 
at Cdougliwater (Antrim), where they have frequently been observed feeding in eom- 
pany ; fieldfares and starlings being also occasionally associated with them. 
