7b The Irish NaUiralist. June, 



yields quite a dramatic corroboration to the theory in- 

 dependently advanced by a French writer, that the Chaffinch 

 purposely builds its nest in the vicinity of a Missel-Thrush's, 

 to secure protection for its family through the vigilance 

 and courage of so powerful a neighbour. A feature of the 

 book that must commend itself to most readers is the 

 large number of easily accessible localities — especiall}^ 

 around Dublin— that are named as favourite haunts of 

 particular songsters. Apart, however, from the local 

 and original touches, the easy manner in which information 

 gathered from many sources is imparted in Benson's pages 

 forms a merit that from the first commanded general 

 praise. 



Having suffered a further heavy bereavement in the loss 

 of his wife, Benson in 1899 resigned the head-mastership 

 of Rathmines School, and lived in a house on Montpelier 

 Hill until 1902, when he was appointed rector of Balbriggan, 

 and shifted his residence to Bedford House, in the out- 

 skirts of that town. Here the last sixteen years of his 

 life were spent. In 1901 he had contracted a second happy 

 marriage, and had also found time to bring out a second 

 edition of " Our Irish Song-Birds." Perhaps the principal 

 thing to be regretted about this second edition is that it 

 was not delayed for a few years longer, since the author's 

 translation to new surroundings, where his observations 

 of bird-life were continued as unremittingly as ever, might 

 have led to the introduction of some new and welcome 

 matter. For instance, might not the Tree-Sparrow — the 

 bird par excellence of Balbriggan — have claimed right of 

 entrance within the charmed circle of our song-birds ? 

 Though not recognised as such in Benson's book as we have 

 it, one would like to know how far, after a few year's resi- 

 dence in its neighbourhood, the author would have gone 

 towards endorsing Howard Saunders' statement that " the 

 male has a slight though somewhat pleasing song." Benson, 

 at any rate, seems to have made the interesting 

 discovery regarding this species that it disappears from the 

 vicinity of Balbriggan in winter, and this observation is 

 recorded by R. M. Barrington in the " British Association 

 Handbook " for Dublin and Wicklow (1908). 



