THE RINGED PLOVER. 
101 
lake between Toome and the river Mayola. I have been assured by 
an old sportsman that a few pair of these birds many years ago 
bred annually at the Brown Moss^ an inland locality of a marshy 
nature,, adjacent to the Green Boghill, county of Antrim, as 
dunlins also did at the same time : the latter were scattered over 
a wider district than the ringed plover. Both species have long 
since ceased to frequent the place, in consequence of its being less 
in a state of nature than at the period alluded to. They have 
likewise been observed to be in small numbers during summer at 
a similar locality in the county of Mayo,^ — a bog near lough Conn, 
in which redshanks and dunlins nidify. They were consequently 
believed to be breeding there. The Rev. T. Knox has remarked, 
in a letter to me, that ringed dotterels are plentiful along the 
river Shannon about Killaloe, where they fly Tibout with sand- 
pipers : he had not observed them during winter, and hence 
considered that they probably came to breed. One which he 
killed in June, 1832, had its stomach filled with small shells. 
Tliree shot at Strangford lough in J une contained minute 
Crustacea, and insects. A few specimens from Belfast bay 
examined in winter, exhibited the remains of Crustacea. The 
ringed dotterel has occasionally been observed in September about 
the oozy banks of a river (presenting fresh-water rejectamenta 
only) above a paper mill within the circuit of the town of Belfast. 
This bird is commonly called Knot by the shore- shooters of 
Belfast bay, the species properly so called, the Tringa CanutuSy 
being termed Bimne. Having inquired of an old shooter if 
he had remarked any peculiarity about this species, his reply 
was that when feeding they fight very much, the stronger 
frequently driving away the weaker. Their sociability with 
dunlins, however, is fatal to them ; for when by themselves 
the flocks are so small as to be considered unworthy of the 
fowler^s notice ; but when in company with the other, which 
usually go in large bodies, and consequently are considered 
worth a charge of powder and shot,^'’ both are slain together. 
The two species are generally associated on our coast. During 
spring tides in Belfast bay, when these birds are driven to 
