Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 353 



Sectio III. ACANTHOCHLAMYS, Spach. 

 Involucrum fructiferum, 2-partitum, segmentis laciniatis, spinosis. 

 5. CORYLUS FEROX, Wall. Plant. Asiat. Rar. tab. 87. Arborea. 

 Foliis saepius oblongis, acuminatis. Nuce durissima, compressa, 

 involucro duplo breviori (Wall. I. c). 

 Hob. in Nepaliae raontibus. 



A tree twenty foot high and two foot in circumference. 

 Branches slender, smooth, brownish. Leaves three to four 

 inches long, pubescent on both surfaces, hairy on the ner- 

 vures, similar to those of the elm. Fruit aggregated in pen- 

 dent heads. Involucre hairy. Nut with a very thick shell. 

 {Wallich, I. c.) 



XhVl.—The Birds of Ireland. By Wm. Thompson, Esq., 

 Vice-Pres. Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. 



[Family Fringillid^e, continued from p. 288.] 



The Green Grosbeak or Green-linnet, Fringilla Chlo- 

 ris, Temm. (Genus Coccothraustes, Briss.), is common and 

 resident in suitable localities throughout Ireland. This bird 

 is generally described simply as found in cultivated districts, 

 but this gives no correct idea of the true haunts of the species 

 or of its partialities. These I have seen set forth with the nice 

 discrimination and fullness which are so desirable, in one work 

 only — the e British Birds 3 of Sir Wm. Jardine. 



This author remarks on the green-linnets "frequenting cul- 

 tivated districts in the vicinity of gardens and limited planta- 

 tions. During winter they congregate in large flocks, feeding 

 on the stubble ground on various small seeds, and resorting 

 towards night-fall to the vicinity of the plantations or ever- 

 greens surrounding some mansion * * *. In spring, when 

 paired, they resort to the garden and shrubbery" The words 

 in italics mark the nice discrimination alluded to, and are in 

 entire accordance with my own observation on the favourite 

 haunts of the green-linnet, and to it alone will they strictly 

 apply. By the plantation of shrubberies, I have known this 

 handsome bird to be attracted to a rather wild district in 

 which it had hitherto been a stranger, and soon become plen- 

 tiful, the Portugal Laurel with its dense foliage being its 

 favourite resort. This species is usually described as a late- 

 breeding bird ; but in the locality just alluded to, and which is 

 at a considerable elevation, a journal-note of April 4th, 1832, 

 mentions busy preparations for nestling going forward in 

 glen, shrubbery, and garden. A nest of this species, found 

 in a beech-hedge, was so tastefully lined as to be considered 



Ann. fif Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2 A 



