American Golden Plover (Charadrius dominicus) in IrelandAuthor(s): Edward WilliamsSource: The Irish Naturalist, Vol. 3, No. 10 (Oct., 1894), p. 224Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25520719 .

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224 The Irsli ANruraftst.

Coleoptera at Courtown, Co. Wexforcd-On a recelnt trip to

Courtown, Co. Wexford, Mrs. Tatlow was killcn elnougll to collect what

Coleoptera she miiet with cldirinig her stay. Ill the collectioil thu.s nmade are somie examlples of the local Bembidium pal1iedli5e takeni -Lnder debris at the mnonith of the river north of Courtowni; there are also Nebria covz n/a,nala, Anzchoioienel s ma7gii/is, A. oblon,gus, Z'tavs/ic/us verna/is, S/a/ky/is cwsarins and mially other species of mlore connuioil occurreilce.-J.

HAzBnXRT, Dublini.

FISHES. The Allis Shad (CIupea alosa, L.) In the Erne.-Mr. Alliighant

of Ballyslhanniloi, Co. Doniegal, has forwardled sue a speciniell of the Allis Shacd fromi the River Errne, witlh tile remnark that the fislhermenl called it a "c Erench Herrinlg." This species of Slhadl is extreinely like the " Twaite Shad," which occurs chiefly in the SouLth of Ireland-indeed, the oilly reliable miethlod of distiniguishing tlle two species is by mieans of the " gill rakers.' These are processes projectilg Ifronsi the outer gill-arch, and are well seen by lifting tip the gill-cover at the sidle of the Iead. In the Allis Shlad, there are from 6o to So of these processes, whilst thle other

lias onily frOll 20 tO 30. Both tlle species are in the habit of ascelndilng rivers froml the sea, in order to spawil. Although Dr. Day recorcls their having both been obtained in Irelanid, yet T1lompsoll, illn hiS ATa/,ral HZiiwy. q/Ireland, appears to enitertaini somiie doubt wlihether the Allis Shad should be -admitted as Irisli.--R. F. SCIXARSiF, Dublin.

BZRDS. American Goldlen Plover (Charadrlus dominicus) In Ire.

land.-Oni the I2th of Septemiiber, wlhilst exaiiniiiiig a lot of Golden Plover which had been forwardedl froI 13ellmuillet, Co. Mayo, to our Dublini market, I ticked out a bird of this species, an adiult, still retaini ing a good part oi the black of the summliner plutmiage oii the breast. It differs greatly fron our Ziuropean birdl (Ciarzaadi usphivialis) inl many ways, beinig much longer in tlle tarsus, the axillary feathlers being smloky black (in our bird pure wllite), and a broad baud of wliite over the eye. I think I am correct in sayinig onle or two specimiens hiave occurred ill

HIeligoland, and one in Scotland,cl but the species haE1s hithierto beeni un detected in Ireland.-EDWARD WILLIAMS. Dublin.

Spotted Redshank In Dublin Say.-Trhe Spottedl Redslianlk (Totanuzsfuitscus) is usuLally considered a very rare Irish bird, but froin the number of tinmes I havre mnet the species, I shouxld zbe ilnclinedl to say it is far commoner than is siupposed. In the mlontlh of Septenliber, 1888, two birds passed mle with a peculiar note, on the miarslh at tlhe Nortll Bull, which I could not identify at the time, but having hearLd the niote of the Spotted Redshank a good niany tines since, I have no (loubt were birds of this species. In September, i8go, one was shot out of a flock of Commioni Redshanks at the Butill. Oll tlle 23rd September, i89i, I obl tained a' beautifuLl specimiieni on- the maitirshy point ill Baldoyle Estuary.

October 3, 1892, I s-aw one at the samle poinlt, but owing to its excessive wildness, I failed to get a shot at the bird. This year, whiile out shootilng with m:ly friend, Mr. C. Patt-en, Onl 7th September, onie passeci us at about a hundred yards, jusLt opposite Dollymounit, onl the North Bull. The note of the bird is a peculi'ar twitter, quite unlike the boldl whistle of the common species, but the most distinguishing mark is the absence of the broad white bands on the wings so conspic-L1ous in our ordinary

Redshank.,-EDWARD WIIJIAMS, Dublin.

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