188 SYLVIADjE. 



cularly abundant. Early in July, 1837, a nest containing eggs 

 was discovered at the "Palls/' within about ten paces of a public 

 highway, and twice that distance from an occupied dwelling- 

 house. It was elevated about a foot above the ground, in a sloe- 

 bush, and concealed by the growing grass of a late meadow. 

 White-throats, perched on hedges or underwood, with caterpil- 

 lars in their bills, denoting the vicinity of the nestlings, will often 

 permit our approach within a few paces, all the time keeping a 

 great uproar, consisting of a mere* repetition of the word churr. 



A young white-throat caught in the middle of June when just 

 fledged, was taken home by the captor. It was at first fed on 

 bread and milk, and worms, but on the third day began to catch 

 flies for itself, when taken near to them. It became perfectly tame. 

 Its favourite perch was the finger of its owner, from which it very 

 expertly picked up the " flies on the window-panes of the house."* 



On April the 23rd, 1841, when on the way from Malta to the 

 Morea, in H.M.S. Beacon, a. white-throat, migrating northwards, 

 flew on board, when we were 80 miles from Malta, and 50 from 

 Cape Passaro, the nearest land: when walking about Navarino 

 on the 28th, my attention was called to one by its song. 



In Dr. Patrick Brown's " Catalogue of the Birds of Ireland," 

 published in ExshaWs Magazine for 1772, I find, — " Motacitta 

 Curruca, White-bellied Nightingale, seen about Ballydangan, in 

 May, 1774, Brown." To the Catalogue a notice of the "ska or 

 white-throat" is also appended. No specimen of the Lesser 

 White-throat (S. curruca) obtained in Ireland, has as yet come 

 under my own notice, or that of any of my correspondents by 

 whom the species is known, but I anticipate its being added to 

 the Irish Pauna : the gun being very rarely directed against warb- 

 lers, may be the reason that it has not yet been met with. Its 

 occurrence, even in the south of Scotland, was not known to Sir 

 Wm. Jardine at the time of his writing the " British Birds ;" 

 Mr. Macgillivray, however, notices the species as met with there, 

 but as being "very uncommon," vol. ii. p. 358. 



* Garrett. 



