3962 Dublin Natural History Society. 



Mr. Douglas read a continuation of his " Contributions to the Natural History of 

 British Micro-Lepidoptera," consisting of illustrations of the transformations of the 

 genera Bedellia and Elachista. 



The President announced the publication of Part 5 of the current volume of the 

 Society's ' Transactions,' and that the Prize Essay on the duration of life in the Ho- 

 ney Bee was reprinted for separate sale. — J. W. D. 



Proceedings of the Dublin Natural History Society. 



Friday, May 13, 1853. — Robert Callwell, Esq., M.R.I. A., in the chair. 



The following donations were announced, and thanks ordered to be given to the 

 donors : — Two specimens of the rock pipit (Anthus petrosus), a bird which breeds in 

 great numbers in Rockabill, off the Skerries, in the month of June : also, a specimen 

 of the snow-bunting (Plectrophanes nivalis), shot in the county of Kerry : presented 

 by Mr. Andrews. A ' Treatise on the Climate of Nottingham,' by Edward Joseph 

 Lowe, Esq. ; presented by the Author. 



Mr. J. R. Kinahan read the continuation of his paper " On the Autumnal Songs 

 of Birds," cemmenced at the April meeting. We here give the first part in full. 



" When I commenced this paper, it was my intention to have confined myself to a 

 record of those birds which sing during the latter months of the year about Dounybrook, 

 but on reviewing my notes on this subject, I find it impossible to separate them from 

 their congeners, for, in fact, most of our songsters sing nearly the whole year round. 

 The remarks I am about to submit to the meeting, are an abstract of nearly daily re- 

 cords, extending over a period of at least five, and, in some instances, seven years, and 

 in every case were made by myself, and their value, if they have any, depends solely 

 on this. With but few exceptions, which I have noted, they relate entirely to the 

 birds of Donnybrook, and therefore, to a general naturalist, are only useful as com- 

 pared with similar records made in other quarters, as, during the time I was making 

 them, I have found a few miles sufficient entirely to alter my list. 



" Our earliest songsters are the robin, the wren, pied wagtail (Motacilla Yarrellii), 

 gray wagtail (M. Boarula), and hedge-fauvette {Accentor modularis). These com- 

 mence their autumn song pretty much in the order here set down. The robin begins 

 in the second week in August or the first week in September. Twice during the last 

 five years do I find him noted before the former date, viz., on the 1st of August, 1851, 

 and, in 1852, when he commenced on the 7th of August. He is, without exception, 

 our most indefatigable songster. Every weather is alike to him, — sun, fog, frost, snow, 

 wind, or rain. He sings all the year round, except for about six weeks in summer, i. e., 

 from about the last week in June till the second week in August. He generally sings 

 every day, morning and evening, till about the middle of December, after which time 

 he does not sing, except in the morning, until about the middle of January, when he 

 recommences singing in the evening, and also changes his autumnal song for that of 

 the breeding-season. Sometimes the song is not so regular as is here stated. In 1849 

 he commenced in September, and sang regularly till the middle of November : last 

 autumn he recommenced on the 7th of August, and continued in song almost daily up 

 to the present date: in 1851 he commenced on the 29th of August, but sang most irre- 

 gularly, as I find him noted only four times between that date and the 1st of January, 



