100 



DUBLIN NATUEAL HISTOKY SOCIETY. 



Having once commenced, many of them sing on late into the dusk, as I stated 

 before. I will quote one or two sets of notes illustrative of this: — " April 11, 

 1853— Fine soft evening ; Roebuck, 7*30 p.m. ; in song — robin, song-thrush, 

 blackbird, chaffinch, wren ; of these, the song-thrush, robin, and blackbird sang 

 up to 8*30 (the sun having set at 650), while the others ceased at about 8." It 

 is nothing extraordinary at this season of the year to hear the thrush, robin, and 

 blackbird singing for an hour, or so, after dusk. As a general rule, birds sing 

 oftener and more regularly in the evening, in the spring and autumn, than in 

 either summer or winter. The duration of song during the day varies in the 

 different species ; some, as the wren, singing but a few minutes at a time ; 

 others, as the thrushes and tits, will keep it up for hours. The most lengthened 

 strain that 1 find noted occurred in a song-thrush, which began his song under 

 my windows at eleven a.m., and six p.m. found him still at his post; how much 

 longer he sung, 1 do not know, as business took me elsewhere. The day was a 

 soft, drizzling one. From the preceding notes, we see quite clearly that those 

 authors who deny to birds the habit of autumn song are in error, at least in this 

 country ; in fact, in favourable seasons, no month is utterly songless. To show 

 this more clearly, I have drawn out from my notes a Table of Songsters in each 

 month, which I now lay before you. 



TABULAR VIEW OF BIRDS IN SONG IN EACH MONTH, NEAR DONNYBROOK AND 



MERBION. 



(s) sings ; (r) records ; (..) not heard ; (*) not found at Donnybrook. 



» Rare ; but breeds. 



i> Winter migrants ; the latter bred once. 



*= Not foimd in Donnybrook ; noted at Montpelier, and Three Rock Mountain. 



<> Probably sings in every month. 



' liare ; at Miltown and llathgar, occasionally. Summer migrant 



f Summer migrant -. April to September 



K Sununer migrant : April to September ; occasionally in winter. 



^ Summer migrants ; May to September. 



> Summer migrant ; April to .September, 

 k Summer migrant ; March to October. 



> Scarce at Donnybrook. 



• Donnybrook ; winter months only. Rathgar ; Phoenix Park, 



Summer migrant. 



