Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/19

 of species bears no comparison to the area; thus, there are in the parish of Selborne 120 species; within the same space around Belfast 185; in Ireland 262; in the British Islands generally 320; in Europe 503; in North America 471; in Australia 636; in the world 5,000.

The neighbourhood of Belfast, including the bay, may be considered too fully dwelt upon throughout this work; but what is alluded to in this locality should, unless mentioned as of a local nature, be viewed in the light of an epitome of the general habits or economy of the species. Dates, which may seem too fully given, are interesting in a statistical point of view, as the rapid changes made by man on the material world, affect birds to a great extent. Nowhere is this more required than in connection with the place just named, as railways lately constructed on both sides of the bay, have diminished to a great extent the feeding-ground of the Grallatorial and Natatorial birds. Interesting peculiarities respecting the locality, and the changes effected, will be found noticed under curlew, and other species. The great increase of shipping of late years, and the steam-vessels in particular, have already had a great effect upon them. The swivel-guns, too, tell a deadly tale. The adjacent Strangford lough, owing to its comparative retirement, is becoming annually more and more resorted to by birds which would otherwise remain in Belfast bay.