228 
SCOLOPACIDJL. 
curlew^ or even than the latter and the whimbrel are with each 
other. About September 1841, he procured godwits, pigmy 
curlews, ring] dotterels, and dunlins, at one shot : — the common 
fowling-piece is alluded to in these instances. 
Great changes have of late years taken place with respect to 
the godwit. It was quite unknowm during winter in Belfast Bay 
until the season of 1837-8, when, about the middle of January, 
two were seen together, and one of them shot ; the same occurred 
at that period of 1841, after a week^s continuance of severe frost 
and snow. In the winter of 1843, some birds were observed; 
and on the 21st of December, 1844, a flock of four appeared, 
from which three were shot ; another flock of nine was seen 
before and after that date. Brom the winter of 1844 to that of 
1848-9, godwits have frequented tliis locality : a flock, consist- 
ing of about two hundred birds, was seen more than once 
within the last fortnight of December. They take their departure 
in the morning from the bay, as believed, to Strangford Lough ; 
their time of flight being somewhat later than that of the wigeon. 
Ash-coloured sandpipers or knots (Tringa canutus) bear them com- 
pany, and to them they are, doubtless, indebted for the hint 
of this precautionary measure, wliich the latter have long adopted. 
In the season of 1846, godwits were observed literally in thou- 
sands at Strangford Lough, from the 16th to the 21st of Be- 
bruary, wliich a shooter spent there ; the weather being remark- 
ably mild at the time. In the last week of Bebruary and first 
week of March, 1847, they were in similar numbers in that 
lough. Several great flocks would be seen at one vi-ew on wing, 
the largest of them containing not less than five hundred birds. 
Even a larger flock, probably amounting to six hundred, appeared 
in Belfast Bay on the 21st of December, 1847, during a week 
after which time a great many were seen there, mixed with innu- 
merable hosts of ash-coloured sandpipers, redshanks, &c. In 
Carlingford Bay, as well as in that of Belfast and Strangford, 
godwits have annually wintered in some numbers since 1843. 
Until the last few seasons, the appearance of the godwit in 
spring at Belfast Bay was almost unknown ; one only having 
