310 
SCOLOPAClDiE. 
Belfast Museum. The latter is a very handsome specimen ; much 
of the dorsal plumage being of a very dark rich bronze^ in 
addition to the whole under surface of the body from the bill to 
near the vent being reddish buff. Mr. E. Chute mentions his 
having seen the red sandpiper ” of Bewick, (which is the knot 
in summer plumage,) shot near Tralee. The earhest period at 
which I have known the fall winter plumage assumed was on the 
26th of September (1846), when a bird in that state was brought 
to me : others killed on the same day were in an intermediate 
state between summer and winter costmne. Almost every bird 
of this species shot in the north of Ireland during autumn is 
in the plumage attributed to the young of the year ; — with a 
double band of white and black to the tip of each dorsal 
feather. 
This sandpiper is doubtless abundant in the oozy bays generally, 
of at least the northern, eastern, and southern coasts ; and I 
should expect of the western coast also ; but I shall only name the 
localities whence positive information has been received. In the 
north-west of Donegal it has been met with, but is considered 
“ very rare.^^* It is numerous in the bay of Drogheda, and com- 
mon from August till March about Baldoyle, Dublin Bay.f Mr. 
Poole notes it as a winter visitant to the coast of Wexford, and 
that he has occasionally seen immense numbers on sale in the 
town of that name ; but that at other times several months pass 
without a single bird being obtained. On some parts of the coast 
of Waterford it is not uncommon ; and a specimen has been shot 
inland a few miles from Clonmel. J This bird is as yet only 
known in Cork Harbour from a few individuals having been 
obtained in different years between August and January. || It 
was considered very common on the coast of Kerry by the late 
Mr. T. P. Neligan, who kindly supplied me with full information 
on the birds of that county in 1837. Mr. E. Chute, knowing 
it only as a rare bird there until 1846, since mentioned his 
* Mr. J. V. Stewart, 
t Mr. K. Davis, jun. 
t Mr. R. J. Montgomery, 
II Dr. J. R. Harvey of Cork. 
