122 merulidjE. 



The remarkable feature in the history of this bird, is its absence 

 from the country until of late years, and its rapid increase from 

 the period of its first appearance, — an observation which applies 

 to Great Britain as well as to Ireland. The first individual that 

 I have heard of, occurring in the north of Ireland, was shot by 

 John Sinclaire, Esq., about the year 1800, from a flock of field- 

 fares, at Eedhall, in the county of Antrim. Within a very few 

 years afterwards, the species bred at Belvoir Park, county of 

 Down; and in 1807 my friend just named observed a nest at 

 Oriel Temple, county of Louth. In Tollymore Park, situated at 

 the base of the mountains of Mourne (Down), it is said to have 

 been first known about 1830. Mr. J. Y. Stewart remarked, in 

 1832, with respect to the north-west of Donegal, that it had been 

 quite unknown there until within the few preceding years, but was 

 then common and resident — flocks of from fifteen to twenty being 

 seen at the approach of autumn. About that time a specimen 

 was sent to me from the county of Fermanagh. In 1839, the 

 species was said to have been increasing much of late years in the 

 neighbourhood of Portumna, county of Galway. Around Clonmel 

 (Tipperary) it was then common. In 1845, missel thrushes were 

 plentiful in the wooded districts of the county of Wexford, where 

 they had been known only for about ten years ; * and at the same 

 period were numerous in the county of Waterford, where some 

 years before they had been rare. They have for some time been 

 common in the county of Cork : — one shot there by Mr. E. Ball, in 

 1818, was considered an extraordinary rarity. In Kerry, they 

 were first seen in 1827 by the late Mr. T. P. Neligan, who ob- 

 served a gradual increase annually to their numbers until 1837, 

 when the communication was made to me. 



In the counties of Antrim and Down, the missel thrush was 

 at first confined to the warm and richly wooded districts, but 

 gradually spread from them over the plantations generally ; and 

 of late years it has inhabited those winch stretch farthest towards 

 the mountain tops. 



This bird builds very early; — before the trees put forth their 



* Poole, 



