THE PIGMY CURLEW. 
287 
bay, and not one was seen again during the season. The Gralla- 
tores generally were particularly abundant in Belfast Bay during 
the autumn of 1839. In 1840, again, pigmy curlews were plen- 
tiful, and appeared so early as the 25th of August : their numbers 
increased until the 7th of September, and then they nearly all left 
the bay -an early arrival is generally followed by an early de- 
parture. In 1843, flocks consisting of about a dozen birds were 
observed, from the 1st to the 18th of September, when I was 
informed of the circumstance. They usually keep to the shores 
of the bay, but in September and October 1836, they frequented 
the river Lagan (within flow of the tide at high water) in flocks ; 
on the 6th of the latter month, I observed nine in company, 
busily feeding at the edge of the river, at Ormeau Bridge : in the 
following year, also, they frequented the tidal portion of that river. 
In reference to the appearance of this bird in spring, I have 
but one note, which, not being communicated until some years 
after the occurrence, should not perhaps be implicitly relied on. 
It relates to four individuals being killed at this period of the 
year, from a flock of thirty to forty at the Lagan. 
In the year 1831, 1 was shown a drawing of one of these birds, 
which had been shot in company with ring dotterels at Clontarf, 
Dublin Bay : subsequently eleven, obtained there about October 
1836, were submitted to my examination, and several more were 
killed on the 19th or 21st of December that year. On the 
3rd of November, 1837, Mr. H. H. Dombrain shot one from a 
very small flock at Lurgan Green, on the coast of Louth. In July 
1844, one was observed on the shore near Clifden (Galway), by 
the Eev. George EobinsoU. This species has occasionally been 
seen in large numbers in Cork Harbour, by Wm; Crawford, Esq. 
On the 29th of October, 1847, he killed, at a shot with his large 
strand-gun, sixty of them, together with ten dunlins. On the 
shores only of Antrim, Down, Louth, Dublin, Cork, and Galway, 
I have positively known this bird to occur ; but there can be no 
doubt that it annually visits all suitable places along the range 
of at least our eastern and southern coast. It is interesting to 
perceive that at the next place noticed, southward of Belfast 
