70' Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



mon in open fields, and creep away quickly through the grass, or 

 run along the path before one's horse like a mouse, often tumbling 

 over a stone or clod in their haste, but exhibiting the greatest 

 reluctance to take wing ; but if persistently followed up, they 

 will rise and fly a few hundred yards before alighting, 



CoTURNicuLUS HENSLOWi (Bonap.) Henslows Sparrow. — 

 This rare, or perhaps I should say very local little bird, I have 

 met but on one occasion. On the 8th of April, when collecting 

 early in the morning, I saw a sj)arrow dive into some low scrub, 

 uttering a note that was strange to me. On being approached 

 he darted from bush to bush, just as the European wren does, 

 and soon hid himself away securely. However I sat down, and 

 waited patiently, and in about ten minutes he came out and 

 commenced searching about through the grass at the roots of 

 the bushes and was secured. 



CoTURNicuLUS PASSERINUS (Bonap.) Yelloic-wingcd SjMrrow. 

 This little bird is not uncommon in summer in open fields, where 

 there is coarse grass or stubble. There it may often be found 

 singing its remarkably feeble song, from the top of some low 

 bush or pile of stones. The earliest note I have of its arrival is 

 the 80th of April. 



ZoNOTRiCHiA ALBicOLLis (Bonap.) Wliite-thvoated Sparrow. — 

 It arrives in October, the earliest I have noted being on the 12th 

 of the month. It remains throughout the winter and leaves 

 again in April. I do not think I have ever seen them in May, 

 except once when I shot one on the 10th of that month. They 

 are hardly ever seen in the fields, like the preceding species, but 

 confine themselves chiefly to the vicinity of the homestead. 

 There however they are in winter, one of the commonest of the 

 small birds, frequenting bushes, or piles of logs and brushwood, 

 into which they dive when alarmed. As spring approaches they 

 sing generally on a wet morning or when rain is threatening, if it 

 be not too cold. Often just at dawn before getting up I have 

 known that it was a misty morning by hearing the song of this 

 little bird ; it is a very poor or rather doleful performance, con- 

 sisting of but five notes — one a high one, then three tones 

 below, another repeated slowly four times. 



JUNCO HYEMALIS (Sclat.) Suow Bird. — They spend the winter 

 in Virginia, coming soon after the first sharp frosts. The earliest 



