186 Mr. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



is commonly called "moss cheeper n in the north 5 by the 

 name of i( we keen" it is known in Kerry*. 



Rock Pipit, Anthus aquaticus, Bechst. — Although this 

 species does not appear, in Mr. Templeton's published Cata- 

 logue of the Irish Vertebrata, known to his father (Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., vol. i. new series), I find by reference to the MS. that 

 he was acquainted with it. Under the name of Alauda pe- 

 trosa it is remarked, u common about the rocks on the shore!" 

 The rock pipit is found on the coasts of Ireland throughout 

 the year, and has on those of the north, west, south, and east 

 occurred to me. It is nowhere more plentiful than about the 

 rocky marine islets, of which the south islands of Arran, by 

 reason of their extreme western position (off the coast of 

 Clare), may be particularised. 



With the following observations of Montagu my own en- 

 tirely agree. He remarks of the rock pipit that * it seems 

 wholly confined to the neighbourhood of the sea, and is never 

 found, even in winter, more remote than the contiguous 

 marshes within the occasional influx of the tide, depending 

 chiefly on marine insects for its subsistence, and has never 

 been observed to be gregarious." (Art. Rock Lark in Orn. 

 Diet.) Mr. Selby has observed it to be " strictly confined to 

 the rocky and abrupt shores :" (111. Brit. Orn., vol. i. p. 259.) 

 but close to the town of Belfast it frequents a coast of the very 

 opposite character, as on the lowest and most oozy part of the 

 beach ; it may always be seen about the rejectamenta of the 

 tide, consisting chiefly, in the situation alluded to, of the Zo- 

 stera marina, the accumulated masses of which form the chief 



• Anthus arbor eus, Bechst. On April 12, 1827, I for some time gave 

 attention to a bird at " The Falls," that, for general appearance, manner of 

 singing, &c, as described by Mr. Selby, I concluded must be this species. 

 One or two ornithological friends have likewise similarly seen a pipit, which 

 they presumed to be the A. arboreus, but specimens have not been obtained 

 for examination that its identity might be determined. It is probably the 

 tree pipit that is alluded to in the following passage from Smith's History 

 of Cork, published in 1774 (p. 338, 2nd ed.) : "The Alauda pratorum, 

 Aldrov., or titlark, which is in England a bird of passage, is a stranger to 

 Ireland. Dr. Rutly informs me that an eminent bird-catcher is now in- 

 troducing them as a novelty in Dublin, being much esteemed for their sweet 

 note. Another species, called the pippit or Alauda minor, whose legs are 

 yellow, and a smaller kind of lark, is a constant attendant to the cuckoo, as 

 a good bird-catcher assures us." 



