42 Alexander Goodman More. [1854 



pected note, the confirmation by experience of a reputed 

 habit or a doubtful fact. For minute items of field-lore he 

 was as constantly on the look-out as for rare specimens. 

 One day towards the end of March, "hearing an unusual 

 note from a hawthorn-bush/' he stole up and " discovered 

 a Redwing to be the author of it, conspicuous by the white 

 streak over the eye." Having never before been treated 

 to the strains of the " Norway Nightingale," he stood for 

 some time an attentive listener. " It continued its rather 

 monotonous but loudish song for some five minutes. This 

 appeared to consist of two notes, sometimes carried on to 

 four or six in rapid succession, or else the two with a little 

 break 'cley-eet'; very different, however, from the inward 

 soft song of the Fieldfare, which I heard the following day, 

 and in quite a clear Thrush-like manner." It was another 

 new experience in woodland sounds when (on May gth), 

 " Being out late in the evening, I heard the cry of the 

 Eared Owl' kri, kree, kree ' "; the familiar " Cat Owl " of 

 Irish woods being very rare in the Isle of Wight. But it 

 was with even greater pleasure that, on the next day, along 

 with the " crake, crake," of the Landrail, he heard for the 

 first time " the Quail's * wet, wet, wet,' in the young corn/' 

 It was now many years since that note had ceased to be, 

 as described by Gilbert White, one of the sounds character- 

 istic of a summer's evening* in Hampshire. But Quails 

 were still common in many parts of Ireland, and in his 

 walks about Loughgall during the remainder of his stay 

 he frequently heard their notes, and many times endea- 

 voured, though without success, to catch sight of the bird. 

 On June 3rd there is a disconsolate entry in his journal: 

 u I spent the morning at Tartaraghan looking for a Quail, 

 but could not succeed in meeting with a single bird. And 

 so I am fated to leave Loughgall after hearing them on 

 every side, and yet having never seen them." 



* See " A Naturalist's Evening Walk," in Selborne : 



" Then be the time to steal adown the vale, 

 To hear the clamorous Curlew call his mate, 

 Or the soft Quail his tender pain relate." 



It is sad to reflect how greatly both the birds here intended (the Quail and the 

 CKdicnemus) have since decreased. 



