42 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii. 



lightkeepers are built. So far the Tree-Sparrows had not 

 spread to these premises for breeding purposes. However, 

 on April 6th, a pair appeared on the balcony of the light- 

 house. I watched them for quite a long time, and 

 observed that the male kept up a chattering chirp to his 

 mate, now and again hopping round as though inspecting 

 the premises with a view to nesting. On the next day 

 they appeared and stayed three hours about the light- 

 house, as well as on a few other occasions during the rest 

 of my stay on the Island. As the species appears to be on 

 the increase, it is quite likely it may spread permanently 

 to this part, and when that happens the Tree-Sparrow 

 will be found tenanting practically all the available 

 buildings on Inishtrahull. 



Having thus given a general account of my discovery 

 and observations on this species, I shall now briefly touch 

 upon its distribution as an Irish bird, with special 

 reference as to when and how it came to inhabit 

 Inishtrahull Island. The commencement of its history 

 does not carry us far back. It was unknown to Thompson 

 who, in Vol. I. of his Natural History of Ireland, p. 256, 

 which was published in 1849, states that " The Tree- or 

 Mountain-Sparrow {Fringilla montana) appears in Temple- 

 ton's Catalogue of Irish Vertebrate Animals ' as a doubtful 

 native,' but to my ornithological friends and myself is 

 quite unknown." Watters, in his Natural History of the 

 Birds of Ireland, which appeared in 1853, makes no 

 mention of the Tree-Sparrow, albeit a year previous 

 Montgomery showed the first Irish specimen to the 

 Dublin Natural History Society. Subsequently it seems 

 that this species was known only about the environs of 

 Dublin, its principal quarters being on the north side 

 of DubUn Bay. Here for many years Edward Williams 

 made valuable observations especially with regard to 

 its steady increase as a breeding-species over the county ;* 



* Nestlings from Howth obtained by this zealous naturalist in 1882 

 are in the National Museum, vide More's List of Irish Birds, 1st ed., 

 p. 12, 1885. 



