CHARADRIIDiE. 
124 
seaside of the North BuU, where I never saw more than, I should 
think, from fifteen to twenty at a time — and not more than one 
or two such fiocks in a day. In Drogheda bay, they frequent the 
same sort of locality, never coming up the river at low water, as 
the purres, ring dotterels, red shanks, &c. do, to feed on the mud 
banks ; but are always to be found on the surface of the strand, at 
the edge of the water, in flocks of from twenty to a hundred or 
more. In a walk from the entrance of the Boyne to Clogher- 
head (about five miles of strand), I have seen two or three flocks, 
containing from sixty to a hundred individuals. If gone up to 
cautiously, they allow of a very near approach; — much more so 
than any other of the shore birds, except the ring dotterel. One 
day last winter I wanted some specimens, and, on firing into a 
large flock as they passed me, knocked down twenty-two, all san- 
derlings. They occasionally mix with the purres, but keep gene- 
rally by themselves. I cannot state exactly the time of their 
arrival; but I have shot them in Dublin bay in September.’’^ 
At Youghal, they were considered rare by Mr. E. Ball ; but 
on the beach at Clay Castle near that town, he has seen them in 
winter in little flocks — tliree or four together, and has been much 
interested in observing their habit of running with great rapidity 
to the base of a huge retiring wave, and back again at a similar 
pace, so as to avoid being wetted by the next advancing one. 
They occasionally, he remarks, appeared almost white at that 
season. Sanderlings (as reported to me in 1837) are of common 
occurrence on the coast of Kerry On the sand hills at Castle- 
gregory, in that county, Mr. E. Chute shot four or five in adult 
plumage (though all differing a little from each other), on the 
31st of May, 1844. Brom their appearance at this season he 
imagined they might be breeding ; but could not find any nests. 
The species is said to be common at Connemara.t 
On the 3 1st August, 1839, I saw one on the beach at Ballan- 
trae, Ayrshire. 
M. T. r. Neligaa. 
t Me Calla. 
