THE WHITE-THROAT. 187 



which I am aware of the species having been observed here. Near 

 Eaheny, county of Dublin, one was shot in December, 1843, by 

 Mr. E. J. Montgomery, about the same time that a reed warbler, 

 and two blackcaps, were obtained. 



The white-throat is a regular summer visitant to the extreme 

 north-west of Ireland, and according to information received, is so 

 to the neighbourhood of Killaloe, and to the counties of Tipperary, 

 Wexford, Cork, and Kerry. Its earliest arrival in the county of 

 Wexford noted by my correspondent is the 1st of May, and the 

 latest seen in autumn, on the 21st of August;* but there can be 

 little doubt, both of its arrival being earlier, and its stay later, 

 than those dates denote. 



The song is commenced on arrival, and generally ceases early in 

 the month of July. Its habits, and the grotesquely earnest appear- 

 ance which the erected feathers on the crown of the head and the 

 distended throat impart when singing, render this bird one of the 

 most interesting of our warblers. When on one of its harmo- 

 nious flights, the white-throat does not uniformly return to the 

 same place, though it generally does so. I have seen one rise from 

 a low bush, singing in its upward and irregular flight, alight on 

 a leafless tree at some little distance, and there continue to pour 

 forth its notes without intermission, as if perched in the same 

 place all the time. At the Falls early in the summer of 1833, 

 the white-throat was several times heard to imitate the songs of 

 other birds, after the manner of the sedge warbler. 



Mr. J. E. Garrett has seen at least half a dozen of its nests about 

 Cromac, where they were generally placed in brambles or the wild 

 rose, with growing grass concealing them from observation ; the 

 eggs were generally five in number. This species would seem to 

 prefer placing its nest in thorny plants, as all of those just 

 mentioned were of that description. Indeed, the white-throat 

 appears to be particularly partial to districts still in a state of 

 nature, where the plants alluded to flourish in all their wild luxu- 

 riance. In the romantic district of this kind, bounding the sea 

 northward of Glenarm, I have remarked the species to be parti- 



* Mr. Poole. 



