296 The Zoologist — July, 1806. 



April 12th. Stonechat, singiug in the air March 26th. Corn Crake, 

 from the 14th of April. Wheatear, singing in the air, same date. 

 Cuckoo, from the 20lh of April. Whitethroat, from the 17th of May. 

 Linnet, from the middle of April. Redpole, from the end of that 

 month. Snipe, from the same time. Robin, from the beginning of the 

 year. Blackcap Warbler (the only time I ever heard it in Ireland), 

 May 17th. Greenfinch, from the 20th of April. Quail, from the 

 middle of March. Swallow, from the 12lh of April. Martin, from the 

 19th of May. Grasshopper Warbler, May 5th. 



Arrival of Summer Migrants. — Lesser Blackbacked Gull, appeared 

 scantily from the 27th of February ; abundant from the end of March. 

 Razorbill, arrived in Hocks from the middle of March. Guillemot, 

 arrived from early in April. Kitliwake Gull, from the end of March. 

 Shearwater, from the 29lh ol March. Common Bunting, from the 

 3rd of April. Chifi'chatt", saw (but not heard) this year on the 5th of 

 April. Wheatear, April 6th. Corn Crake, April 1 1th. Willow Wren, 

 April 12th; immense flocks on the 14th. Gannet and Swallow, April 

 12th. Cuckoo, April 20th. Martin, at Ball's Bridge on the 27th of 

 April (on the skirts of the city, and about six miles from Dalkey) : not 

 seen till the 19th of May at Dalkey. Common Sandpiper, May 2nd. 

 Arctic Tern, April 19th. Grasshopper Warbler, May 5th. White- 

 throat, Rosy Tern and Puffin, May 17th. Swift, May 12th ; in numbers 

 on the 17th. Common Tern, May 20th. 



GlaticoKs Gull. — On the 29th of January I decoyed a young 

 glaucous gull to my boat. I had a beautiful view of it as it stooped 

 and wheeled about me, picking up the pieces of liver I threw to it. 



Sparrow. — On the 10th of February I shot what I thought a black 

 sparrow, and indeed so he turned out, but in a way that I did not 

 expect ; he was begrimed with soot. May not this account for many 

 of the "black sparrows" seen ? While writing on sparrows, I may 

 mention another kind of variety not unfrequently seen about here since 

 raddle has come into fashion to colour bricks with — viz. red sparrows. 

 I must acknowledge that I did start on first seeing a red bird hopping 

 on the road ; but, unlike Mr. Pickwick, I did not draw out my tablets 

 till I had sought a closer view, or else I might have informed the 

 readers of the 'Zoologist' of a strange bird, evidently of the finch 

 family. The sparrow builds in such strange places that a dirty coat 

 is of no unusual occurrence, and then, being a pulverizer, and using 

 water so seldom, the consequence would be obvious, if he went to free 

 himself from vermin in dry raddle or soot. 



