THE SISKIN. 265 



river Lagan, near Belfast, where the alder predominates, and 

 so late as the 6th of April, saw one which had been then obtained 

 in the last-named county. During the winter of 1835-36, these 

 birds were unusually plentiful from the north of the island to the 

 neighbourhood of Dublin, where, as well as in the adjacent 

 county of Wicklow, large flocks were seen, and numbers killed : 

 specimens were likewise procured that season in the counties of 

 Cavan and Londonderry. Early in the winter of 1836-37, some 

 were shot in the counties of Dublin and Wicklow.* A friend 

 who has numbered nearly eighty years, and knows the siskin well, 

 recollects its visiting the north of Ireland occasionally throughout 

 his life, and its frequenting in some numbers a large garden 

 attached to a store in the town of Belfast to feed on flax-seed, 

 some of which was always strewn over one of the walks. 



Of those before mentioned as brought alive to Belfast, a few 

 were purchased by my friend Wm. Sinclaire, Esq., who consi- 

 dered them very pleasing cage-birds. They were extremely lively 

 and active in all their movements ; their song, though not a 

 highly finished performance, was very varied and continuous, yet 

 not too loud for a room. When several were in one cage, they 

 all sang together in a most rambling and discursive manner. 



In the winter of 1843-4, siskins visited Ireland from north to 

 south. The first communication received on the subject, was 

 from the Rev. Benj. J. Clarke of Tuam, who on the 4th of Nov. 

 mentioned his having lately, when on a visit at a country-seat on 

 Lough Mask, met for the first time with this species, which ap- 

 peared in flocks in the plantations, feeding on the seeds of the 

 alder : — in a letter, subsequently received two birds were men- 

 tioned as having been killed at the end of October, from a 

 flock of about twenty in the neighbourhood of Armagh. Early 

 in January, 1844, they made their appearance near Dublin; and 

 during that month were met with about Cork. On the 14th 

 of February, one came under my own observation at the Stran- 

 millis road near Belfast : it admitted of my approach within a few 

 yards, and continued feeding at no greater distance for some time. 

 * They had been obtained in these counties in the winter of 1829-30. 



