20 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



Mr. Walters' pleasant and chatty little volume ; but 

 this, too, is no longer to be had, save in the auction 

 room, and this on rare occasions. Secondly: the native 

 nomenclature differs so widely from the scientific that it 

 is often impossible to ascertain what bird is meant when 

 we are told its rural or provincial name. We hear of 

 the Felt, the Big Felt, and the Blue Felt, the Jay (but 

 not our Jay), the Reefogue, the Philippine, Sallypicker, 

 Thorngrey, Jink, and many others. 



People stare when they are told that there are no 

 Crows in Ireland, no Cranes, no Woodpeckers that the 

 Blackcap, a name given to several birds, is not rightly 

 given to any of those so called that the Hedge Sparrow 

 is not a Sparrow, nor is the Green Linnet a Linnet. 



As regards the study of Natural History, we are 

 doubtless a good deal behind our English brethren. 

 Here the ornithologist is usually regarded as a harmless, 

 good-natured sort of person, but slightly cracked. In 

 England he is considered an intelligent and praise- 

 worthy individual, who knows a little more than some 

 of his neighbours. The contrast struck me a good 

 deal when I applied some time since for leave to 

 bring Rathmines School Field Club through a certain 

 demesne in Ireland, and received a letter from the pro- 

 prietor according us permission to drive through it ; 

 whilst, on the other hand, when staying with my old 

 friend and pupil, Dr. Barton, at Aldborough, near 

 Norwich, some years ago, I was courteously invited by 

 the proprietor to walk through the coverts of Oulton 

 Hall, and when I accepted the invitation, was received 

 most hospitably by its owner, who asked me anxiously 

 every now and then whether I heard or saw anything 



