DUBUN NATURAL HISTORY 80CTETT, 99 



bier (Sa. phragmitis), the robin, the song thrush, the blackbird, dipper, and 

 chaffinch — the last of these 1 have only once hoard sing at night; the others, 

 especially the robin, often. They generally select a soft, moonlight night for 

 singing — as 1 mentioned before, when speaking of the thrush. Birds often sing 

 after dusk, at least I meet several such notes as the following: — " March 22na, 

 1853, near Roebuck— Sunset at 6- 14; snow on ground and hanging from the 

 trees ; eveYiing still and frosty ; sky clear ; three-quarters moon ; at half-past 

 seven the song-thrush and robin wore singing very sweetly and continuously; 

 the blackbird occasionally." Indeed, at almost every season of the year you 

 will hear birds prolonging their strains into the darkness. All the birds men- 

 tioned above, however, 1 have heard after ten o'clock p.m. Secondly, birds 

 whoso females sometimes sing. — Those which have come under my observation 

 are two, the skylark and titlark ; in both instances I verified the observation 

 by dissection ; the song was short and weak, but soft. I also now hold in my 

 hand the ovary taken from a starling, shot April, 1849, which, when shot, was, 

 to say the least of it, endeavouring to sing ; this bird, furthermore, sported the 

 male plumage on her breast, and was shot by me in mistake as a cock. Thirdly, 

 those birds which sometimes sing with closed mandibles. This trait 1 have 

 only met with in two species, the robin, and the lesser willow wren (Sa. trochi- 

 lus). In the first, I have met with it three or four times ; once, when flying with 

 a worm between its mandibles ; the song was nearly as loud as ordinary, but 

 not so prolonged, and not resembling recording in the least. In the lesser wil- 

 low wren I have observed this but once, while the bird was feeding ; the song 

 had a most extraordinary veutriloquial effect, the sound seeming to proceed 

 from all around the listener. 



The position chosen by birds for the delivery of their songs varies much : as 

 a general rule, among those which sing from a height, perched, we find that in 

 the commencement of the winter, and during the cold weather, they sing either 

 from the ground, or but a little removed from it ; and, as the season advances, 

 they choose a higher and higher station, till they at last sing from the highest 

 position they can find — of this we have a very good example in the song-thrush. 

 Some, such as the blackbird, almost always sing from an elevated position. 

 Those birds which sing on wing are verv numerous, and may conveniently be di- 

 vided into two classes:— First, those which sing soaring, as the skylark, titlark, 

 white-throat, whinchat, wheat-ear, almost habitually ; and, occasionally, on fine 

 days, the winter fauvette, stonechat, greenfinch, lesser redpole, lesser willow 

 wren, &c. These all rise into the air, singing, and remain for a while poised in 

 the act; sometimes, especially in the early season, they, or at least the first sub- 

 division of them, may be found singing on the ground. The second class merely 

 sing as they are flying from bush to bush, often with quivering wings ; this in- 

 cludes the robin, wren, goldfinch, tits, and siskin. 



The period of the day when birds commence their song varies much with the 

 season. In winter, they seldom, if ever, begin till some hours after daybreak, 

 while, in early autumn, summer, and spring, they generally begin long before 

 dawn. In early spring, the tits generally commence the earliest; next, the 

 robin, which may be often heard in the twilight of a February morning ; and next, 

 the thrushes and larks. As the season advances, the lark usurps the first place. 

 Thus I find, April 30, 1851—" 255 a.m — Bright twilight; skylarks singing." 



Again, May 28, 1852-— •♦ 2-30 a.m Morn breaking; songsters — lark, common 



bunting, yellowhammer, song-thrush, blackbird, and chaffinch." Both these 

 notes refer to Donnybrook ; the next was taken at Robertstown, county of Kil- 



dare "July 3, 1851 — Just dusk; 140 a.m., lark commenced to sing ; 2-0 a.m., 



chaffinch ; 210, blackbird and song-thrush simultaneously began ; in twenty mi- 

 nutes more, titlark ; and in five more, sedge warbler and white-throat ; and, 

 day having now broken, in a few minutes more the wagtails commenced.** 

 Again: "April 28, 1853, near Birr, King's County— 345, fine morning;, twilight, 

 robin and lark almost simultaneously; 4-0, chaffinch; 410, buntmgs; 420, 

 song- thrush and blackbird ; and in a few minutes afterwards, Sylvia trochilus.** 



