DUBUN NATUBAL IU»TOKY bOClETV. 95 



oztend, I find him recorded in erery winter month except November, though the 

 regular time for his 8ong is about the I4th February ; singularly enough, in 

 three several years, though previously to this day he had only sung occasionally, 

 and a single bird, hero and there, on the 14th February, thu groves, as though 

 by uoramuu consent, were filled with his sprightly song, lie olten sings till late 

 in July, though, generally speaking, the third week in June ends his season. The 

 earliest date I ever heard him was on the 20th October. He sings from a bough 

 generally at middle height from the ground. In Scotland he is recorded as be- 

 ginning the fourth week in January, and ceasing the 2nd July, and singing, oc- 

 casionally, through the autumn and winter. White records him as " beginning 

 in February, and ceasing in June." The tits found about Donnybrook are P. raa- 

 ior, ctcrulcus, ater, longicaudatus, and palustris. Of these, the last two may 

 be excluded from my list of singing birds of that locality, as the first of them is 

 merely an occasional winter visitant, and the second a very rare one, only hav- 

 ing occurred twice to me there, once in the latter end of the autumn, and once 

 in the summer. Of the other throe, the great tit begins earliest ; once I find him 

 recorded in August, and twice in September. He does not generally begin till 

 the middle of January ; he is the most indefatigable songster of his race ; in the 

 beginning of February and through the month of March, generally commencing 

 his harsh song some hours before daybreak, and then keeping it up for three or 

 four hours. Uc ceases in the middle of June, sings at an elevation, and while in 

 pursuit of food. The nun generally commences towards the latter end of Janu- 

 ary, and continues in song till towards the end of July. The cole tit commences 

 about the same time, but ceases a little earlier. The songs of all the tits are 

 jnuch alike, both in note, and also as to delivery, duration, &c. They all sing at 

 an elevation, and, if the season be open, do not mind a little frost. The long- 

 tailed tit, although not a resident in Donnybrook, is plentiful enough about Mil- 

 town and Rathfarnham. It has more pretensions to song than any of its con- 

 feners. It commences its song about tne beginning of February, and ceases in 

 une. The song is delivered on a bush, and may be heard even in frost. The 

 lark (Alauda arvensis) as a winter songster is very irregular, and generally 

 harsh and unmusical until the spring suns have warmed it. Some years, how- 

 ever, it sings in autumn as merrily as in the summer or spring. Last autumn it 

 was singing as sweetly as ever, even as late as October and November. It, how- 

 ever, seldom commences its song till about the beginning or middle of Februarv ; 

 it generally sings earlier in the morning than any other bird, and later in the 

 evening. Weather exercises little influence on its song once it has commenced, 

 singing as merrily in the midst of the pelting shower or driving sleet as in the 

 bright sunshine. Snow alone, or high winds affect it. It sings late into July, 

 but remains silent during August. Its method of singing I need not describe, 

 as it must be familiar to you all ; sometimes, especially in the breeding season, 

 it sings on the ground. I have shot the females in the act of singing. That little 

 fairy-like bird, the goldcrest (Regulus auricapillus) comes next before us ; he is 

 only an occasional winter songster. His legitimate time for song is early 

 sprmg, commencing in January and ending in the beginning of June. On frosty 

 days, however, he may be heard singing even as early as the 18th November. 

 The song is always delivered from an elevation, is short, and to some might 

 even appear harsh, much resembling that of the titmouse. The most regular 

 autumn songsters we have (excepting the robin and the wren) are those of 

 which we now come to speak — those peerless songsters, the thrushes, or at least 

 the two great types of the genus here— the common thrush and the blackbird. 

 The common thrush (Morula musica), I find, commences either early in 

 November or December ; the earliest note I find is the 12th November, 1830. 

 Its song is, of course, familiar to you all. Early in the season it sings either in 

 a low bush, or else on the ground, and only in the morning ; as the season ad- 

 vances, it sings in the evening, and chooses a higher station, till, in the height of 

 the season, it sings from the highest trees ; earlier, however, it prefers dose 

 brushwood, and hence may bo heard most regularly singing in such places as 



