INTRODUCTION. 23 



table given at the end of the book, containing the result 

 of Dr. Kinahan's interesting observations, that Septem- 

 ber is even a more silent month in Ireland ; whilst 

 January and February, the severest months of the year, 

 are enlivened by a much larger number of bird-songs. 



The most constant singer is the Robin ; he may be 

 heard for eleven months in the year, being silent only in 

 August. The Song Thrush probably comes next, with 

 ten months' singing to his credit, omitting August and 

 September only. The Blackbird may be heard almost, 

 but not quite, so frequently, I think, as the Thrush ; 

 whilst the Skylark, the Chaffinch, and the Wren follow 

 closely upon our list ; indeed, I am not sure that I 

 should not bracket this latter bird with the Robin, as 

 Dr. Kinahan does, were it not that, as far as my own 

 experience goes, it is not as frequent a songster, nor 

 does it always sing in exceptionally severe weather, 

 when the snow lies thick on the ground, and poor 

 Robin's is the only music we hear. 



I trust that my readers may act upon these few sug- 

 gestions, and observe systematically the birds in their 

 neighbourhood, wherever their lot may be cast. If they 

 will but do this, they may possibly be the means of 

 adding now and then a new bird to our Irish fauna ; for 

 Ireland was until lately in many places a country 

 unexplored by the ornithologist. 



The Robin, the Thrush, the Wren, may be heard all 

 the year round ; but in the early springtime our foreign 

 musicians begin to arrive, and fresh and tender voices, 

 heard last, it may be, at "Afric's sunny fountains," pro- 

 claim that " the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, 

 and the time of the singing of birds is come." Let us 



