VI PREFACE. 



Birds ; and in Mr. Macgillivray's, the heads, at least, of nearly 

 all the land birds are represented. 



With so much already done pictorially and descriptively, on the 

 subject of British ornithology, it may be considered superfluous to 

 treat of the birds of Ireland in a separate work, but, in the author's 

 opinion, every country should possess a Natural History specially 

 appertaining to itself. In the publications referred to, the birds of 

 Ireland have been but briefly indicated, — a species generally dis- 

 missed in a single line, and so much appearing only in two works; 

 — those of Sir Win. Jardine and Mr. Yarrell. 



The least reflection will convince any one who appreciates the 

 geographical distribution of species, that the birds of Ireland are 

 in this respect even more interesting than those of Great Britain, 

 as, within its latitude and longitude, Ireland is the " ultima Thule," 

 the extreme western limit to which the European species not found 

 in the Western Hemisphere, resort. The geographical position 

 of the island, also renders it occasionally the first European land on 

 which North American species, after having crossed the Atlantic, 

 alight. 



Considerable differences, too, consequent en physical causes, 

 will be found to exist in the economy of the same species in 

 Great Britain and Ireland. 



The Physical Geography or natural features of the country 

 compared with those of Great Britain, cannot be said to deprive 

 Ireland of more than one species (the ptarmigan). The relative 

 proportion in the two countries, of land to water, of heaths and 

 bogs to cultivated grounds and plantations, has influence only on 

 the number of individuals. 



Nor does the difference in the mineralogical structure of Ireland 

 compared with Great Britain affect the actual presence of any 

 species, although it is the primary cause which influences the 



