Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. So/ 



reports upon them : " The siskin is a very pleasing cage-bird ; 

 it is extremely lively and active in all its movements ; its song, 

 though not a highly finished performance, is very varied and 

 continuous, yet not too loud for a room. When several are 

 in one cage they all sing together in a most rambling and dis- 

 cursive manner." 



The Lesser Redpole, FringiUa Linaria, Linn., is found 

 from north to south of Ireland. Late in May or early in June, 

 it has been seen by Mr. R. Ball on the banks of the river 

 Blackwater in the county of Waterford, where he presumes 

 that it nestles ; and Mr. R. Davis, jun., of Clonmel, informs 

 me that it breeds in his neighbourhood ; — in the north of En- 

 gland only is it said to do so. Although resident over the 

 island, it is more plentiful in the north, but from the nature 

 of its haunts is not very commonly known like the grey-lin- 

 net. Here in summer it chiefly frequents the picturesque and 

 wooded glens, building commonly in the Coniferce ; but in a 

 friend's garden contiguous to such a locality, an humble 

 gooseberry-bush once sufhced for this purpose, and the nest 

 is stated to have been lined with feathers. A person conver- 

 sant with the species reports his having had its nest in a 

 thorn-tree, that the eggs were very small and of a blue colour, 

 with the markings described by Selby. In winter the lesser 

 redpole is dispersed very generally, and often in rather small 

 flocks, about twenty in number, over plantations from the 

 highest on the mountain-side to those which are but little 

 elevated above high-water mark. The late John Montgomer}', 

 Esq., of Locust Lodge, near Belfast, informed me that he had 

 remarked this bird in winter engaged in feeding upon the 

 seeds of the tree-primrose [(Enothera) and crown-imperial 

 [Fritillaria imperialis) in his garden. 



It were idle to dwell longer on this interesting bird — its 

 partiality to the seed of the alder ; the varied and graceful 

 attitudes all so full of animation and life assumed by a group 

 W'hen feeding ; and the indifference shown to the close prox- 

 imity of man at such times ; for these points have been fully 

 expatiated on by Mr. Selby. 



The Common or Grey-linnet, FrinyiHa cannabina, 

 Linn., is one of the most common birds throughout Ireland 

 at every season. In nearly all kinds of localities, except the 

 lofty mountain-ridge, it is to be met with. This species, keep- 

 ing generally by itself or associating with the other linnets 

 {Linaria;) (though I have seen many in company with chaf- 

 finches), is partial to neglected pastures or other grounds 

 where " weeds" are permitted to flourish, and where it ren- 

 ders the farmer a great service by feeding on their seeds. The 



