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



cultivator of flax in the north of Ireland, by placing no value 

 on the home-grown seed, unwittingly presents a rich autumnal 

 treat to the grey-linnet. After this plant has been subjected 

 to steeping, the seed parts freely from the stem when the 

 bundles are flung out of the pool upon the neighbouring 

 banks, and here these birds may be seen congregated to feed 

 upon it so long as any seed is left. The linnet has always 

 seemed to me to have a predilection for deserted quarries (espe- 

 cially of limestone), doubtless for the sake of the seeds of 

 the various plants which spring from the debris — and also for 

 the borders of the sea- shore unaffected by cultivation, where 

 many hundreds may often be seen associated together. So 

 early as the 10th of July I once saw several flocks, some con- 

 taining fifty individuals, on the marine sand-hills at Portrush, 

 near the Giant's Causeway : one of these birds which fed 

 within six paces of me was regaling on the seed of a dande- 

 lion, which it extracted with great rapidity ; on rising from 

 the ground its call was uttered and repeated for some time on 

 the wing*. Under date of September 21, the following note 

 appears in my journal : — For some time past I have daily seen 

 flocks of from two to three hundred grey- linnets about the 

 rocks at the sea-side near Bangor, county of Down. When 

 perched today (which was very fine) on low rocks whose bases 

 were washed by the sea, they kept up a pleasing concert, re- 

 minding me of that produced by an assembled multitude of 

 redwings (Turdus Iliacus) on fine days in the early spring. — 

 On the shore of Belfast bay I have seen this bird at the end 

 of April perched on the top of fucus-covered stones — the le- 

 gitimate haunt of the rock pipit — singing most vigorously, 

 though whin-covered rocks, a favourite resort of the species, 

 were quite contiguous. When in the month of June visiting 

 low rocky islets in the sea, the breeding-haunts of terns 

 (Sterna), I have met with this bird. Occasionally in 

 autumn as well as spring, the true song of the linnet may be 

 heard trilled forth by individuals which form part of a large 

 flock. On the 1st of September I have remarked the red 

 upon the breast to be as bright as in June. To witness a flock 

 of grey-linnets feeding is a very pleasing and interesting 

 sight. Several may be seen in different attitudes busied in 

 extracting the seed from a single thistle or ragweed, which 

 all the while keeps moving to and fro with their weight. The 

 ear too is at the same time gratified with the lively call, which 

 is constantly uttered by one or more of the party. When two 



* In this respect the lesser redpole is said by Mr. Selby to differ from the 

 grey-linnet, which he considers to be silent on the wing, but in the north of 

 Ireland there is not this distinction between the species. 



