Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 359 



or three are engaged on the petty surface of a ragweed- 

 top, and others fly to it, some of the first comers, apparently 

 on the principle that the world is wide enough for all, gene- 

 rally move off and leave it to the later guests ; occasionally, 

 indeed, the interruption produces a little buffeting, but which 

 soon terminates, and in this respect is unlike the general me- 

 lee of the sparrow, where the row, originating with a pair, 

 soon becomes general ; or the regular " stand-up fight" of the 

 robin, a couple of which, when feeling "blown" after a set-to, 

 literally stop to take breath, after the approved manner of the 

 Fives-Court, and this done, are at it again as hard as ever, 

 until the victory is decided. 



Sir Wm. Jardine has very pleasingly remarked in a note to 

 his edition of Wilson's * American Ornithology,' that "every 

 one who has lived much in the country must have often re- 

 marked the common linnets congregating towards the close 

 of a fine winter's evening perched on the summit of some bare 

 tree, pluming themselves in the last rays of the sun, chirrup- 

 ing the commencement of their evening song, and then burst- 

 ing simultaneously into one genei'al chorus, again resuming 

 their single strains, and again joining, as if happy, and re- 

 joicing at the termination of their day's employment." In 

 one locality where I had daily the gratification of thus ob- 

 serving them, the effect was heightened by the trees — black 

 Italian poplars, stunted from growing in a retentive clay — on 

 which they alighted and dotted with their numbers to the very 

 apex, having pyramidal-formed heads, and accordingly pre- 

 senting several pyramids of birds, each giving forth its peal of 

 music. When this ceased, the birds descended to roost in fine 

 large Portugal laurels growing beneath and around the trees. 

 The time, &c. of their resorting to these poplars was noted on 

 a few occasions during one season, thus — on February 16th, 

 a great number appeared at four o'clock ; on the 9th of March, 

 kept up their strain until half-past five o'clock ; March 30th, 

 did the same until half-past six o'clock, and though their num- 

 bers have become much thinned, 120 were reckoned on this oc- 

 casion. So late as the 5th of May some came in flocks to roost ; 

 this evening fifteen were observed in company. The whin is 

 the grey-linnet's favourite plant for nestling in, and next to it 

 the hawthorn may be ranked, whether in a hedge or growing 

 singly. This is a favourite cage-bird in the north of Ireland, 

 where it is consequently much sought after by bird-catchers, 

 who call it simply grey. 



The Mountain-linnet, jFV'i/?^?//a montium, Gmel., is one 

 of the least known of our indigenous Fringillidce, and was be- 

 lieved by Mr. Templeton to be only a " winter visitant." But 



