THE WHIMBREL. 
199 
The whimbrel when unassociated with other species is generally 
easy of access; but the late Mr. T. T. Neligan, having shot 
several in the months of April and May 1837^ near Tralee, 
remarked that the flocks were very watchful, one or two of the 
party being always stationed as sentinels on an adjoining height 
while the others were feeding. Those killed by him were found 
full to the throat with Crustacea. In Belfast Bay, I have met with 
this species on the oozy banks, the gravelly beach, and on rocks ; 
but an intelligent shooter, of greater experience than myself, 
states, that it is very partial to the grassy margin of the beach, 
and to the fields bordering the coast, especially in wet weather. 
A veteran sportsman, too, informs me, that many years ago, when 
the neighbourhood of Belfast was not a populous district as at 
present, the upland pastures were the usual resort of this bird, 
where it appeared in' great flocks in spring. Within my own 
experience it has not occurred in such localities ; but the low- 
lying meadows or pastures — such as the bog-meadows — are 
still occasionally visited during the spring migration, by large 
flocks. The last I heard of there was a flock of about a hundred 
birds that frequented them during the first week of May 1815 ; 
during which much rain fell daily in heavy showers. They ap- 
peared as often in the neighbouring oat-fields as in the pasture. 
A juvenile friend went in pursuit of them, when one of the birds, 
a little apart from the others, flew towards, and made a stoop at, 
his dog, until within about a yard of his head, on rising from 
which it was fired at and killed ; it proved to be in very fine 
condition. 
The whimbrel, like others of its tribe, differs much in size. A 
very fine specimen, shot in Belfast Bay in September 1834, which 
I had preserved, was in — 
Inch. Line. 
Length, total (stuffed) 18 6 
of bill from forehead to point .... 4 0 
from rictus to point .... 4 3 
wing from carpus to end of quills . . .10 2 
tarsus ....... 2 8 
middle toe and nail ..... 1 9 
