THE SANDPIPER. 
213 
coast of Antrim ; and a day or two afterwards at the little marine 
bay eastward of Port Ballantrae, near to the GianPs Causeway, 
At this celebrated locality itself^ I remarked the sandpiper on the 
16th July^ 1839; and about the same time, at Red Bay, on the 
eastern coast of Antrim. In the middle of July, I have met with 
it on the rocky coast, near Springvale, county of Down. On 
July 21, 1840, I observed a pair at the head of the Killeries ; 
and three days afterwards, saw one at Clifden Bay, Connemara. 
I am disposed to believe that the bird breeds at some of these 
marine localities ; indeed. Air. Alassey, late- of the Pigeon-house 
Port, Dublin Bay, informed me that he had seen the young, in 
the holes of the walls extending into the sea near that place. 
Early in the month of August invariably, and occasionally in 
the middle of July,* sandpipers, with their young broods, appear 
on the shores of Belfast Bay, towards its inner extremity, and 
along the banks of the Lagan, so far as they are subject to tlie 
flow of the tide. Tliree broods with their parents, or as many as 
twelve to fifteen, are occasionally seen together ; but much more 
commonly about half that number. Sandpipers generally keep by 
themselves ; — in one instance only have I known them to be 
killed in company with other birds, when one fell by night at the 
same shot with dunlins. Indeed, as I have remarked with some 
interest, their feeding- ground is different from that of the dunlin, 
ring plover, &c., these species being generally seen scattered over 
the banks in search of food, while the sandpipers keep along the 
margin of the water for that purpose. The sea- shore is the last 
place frequented previous to the biixPs leaving the country. The 
31st of August is the latest date at which it has come under my 
own notice about Belfast. 
In spring, this bird very rarely visits the sea-side here ; but 
proceeds direct, on arrival, to its inland haunts. Prom these, the 
sandpipers with their broods move by easy stages to the sea. 
Tliose which breed about the mountain rivulets near Belfast, 
bring their young so soon as they are able to fly to the nearest 
July 14, 1846, is the earliest date noted. 
