188 Mr. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



and from so appearing at this season they had very probably 

 migrated in company. Throughout our wild mountain pastures, 

 as well as the rabbit-burrows and sand-hills that skirt the coast, 

 the wheat-ear is found in its season, and in the first-mentioned 

 localities, where even at the most genial period of the year we 

 see but few of the feathered tribe, is highly attractive from the 

 beauty of its plumage, lively habits, and variously uttered 

 song. In such situations it nestles in old stone walls. The 

 eggs I have examined, in form, size, and colour strongly 

 resemble those of the hedge accentor, but on minute in- 

 spection differ from the uniform bluish-green colour of the 

 eggs of this species, in being faintly speckled with very light 

 brown. 



During the first week of October I have seen wheat-ears in 

 the vicinity of the sea in Downshire, but have never known 

 any to be met with in the winter, as they are u in many parts 

 of the south of England" (White's Selborne, p. 257, &c. ed. 

 1837); nor are they ever specially looked after for the table 

 in the north of Ireland ; indeed, for this purpose the species 

 does not appear here in sufficient numbers. In his Natural 

 History of the county of Dublin, Rutly remarks that u it is 

 excellent food and very fat, and for its delicacy is by some 

 called the Irish ortolan" (vol. i. p. 313). 



The Whin-Chat, Saxicola Rubetra, Bechst. — Like the 

 wheat-ear, is a regular summer visitant to this country, but is 

 much less diffused ; besides, its places of resort contribute to 

 render it still less known than, as a regular bird of passage, it 

 might be. These about Belfast are chiefly the base of the 

 mountains and the adjacent fields. It is in the north of Ire- 

 land, as elsewhere in the British Islands, considerably later in 

 its arrival than the wheat-ear. In Mr. Stewart's catalogue it is 

 described as common in Donegal *, and so it is also stated by 

 Mr. Neligan to be in Kerry. This gentleman has remarked 

 to me that the whin-chat is very partial to alighting on docks 

 (Rumeoc) in the meadows it frequents, and that every summer 

 it resorts to the same fields. In 1832 and 1833 the whin-chat 

 was seen by the Rev. T. Knox about Killaloe, where he consi- 



* From the adjoining county of Fermanagh, as well as in Donegal, I have 

 seen specimens. 



