1190 The Zoologist— May, 1868. 



but bitter as all around at night, as many a poor frozen skeleton with 

 feathers has proved. 



Starling. — The starling seeks the same places as the redwing and 

 fieldfare, in countless numbers, till all the food has been devoured ; 

 they then scatter about in small flocks, seeking sunny spots, where 

 they bask and feed (alas !). Their merry chatterings and easy graceful 

 flight make them a very welcome relief to the monotony of snow, if 

 one could but forget their famishing state. Incessantly during snow 

 millions arrive from the east across the Channel. Next to the lark 

 they are our most abundant snow bird, weathering the storm or dying 

 with us. Ireland seems their last resort. They are always a regular 

 autumn and winter visitant to this country, but in hard winters arrive 

 in thousands for the one in fine. 



Sky Lark. — During snow these birds arrive in countless thousands, 

 from the north and north-east, across the Channel. Day after day, 

 week after week, the incessant tide of birds flows into Ireland in flocks 

 of tens, hundreds and thousands. Where they come from, where they 

 go to, I cannot tell. I could scarcely believe, I was going to say, a 

 continent, a country, to contain such multitudes as I have seen flying 

 from the east into Ireland, the first three weeks of 1867. These 

 remarks apply to about a quarter of a mile of coast, but the same tide 

 of birds was pouring in from north to south of our eastern shores. 

 Their numbers must be astounding. They do not appear fatigued, 

 but fly westward, making no stop. Although in thousands in this 

 county, but a moiety of them alight in it. Where do they go to ? 

 what instinct informed them of Irish land ? as it is evident they are 

 not our natural migrants, coming as they do so late and in such 

 numbers. It is at these times that we hear of quantities found dead 

 on our eastern coast. 



Meadow Pipit. — Always a most abundant bird in the County 

 Dublin, but becomes much more so for a time in snowy weather. 

 It then seeks the sea-coast and beach, also warm dung-hills, 

 water meadows, and, in fact, any place where the frost has little 

 effect. After little more than four days frost and snow, 1 found 

 many dead birds and others much exhausted. In inland districts 

 I consider it the most likely to suffer of any of our small birds, 

 its feeding-grounds being so open and exposed that the first snow 

 covers them. 



Rock Pipit. — Being a hardy bird and feeding amongst the sea-weed 

 covered rocks of the coast, and the rotten dibris of the strand, does 



