3964 Dublin Natural History Society. 



is about the 14th of February. Singularly enough, in three several years, although 

 previously to this day he had only sung occasionally, and a single bird here and there, 

 on the 14th of February the groves, as though by common consent, were filled with his 

 sprightly song. He often sings till late into July, though, generally speaking, the 

 third week in June ends his season. The earliest date I ever heard him was on the 

 20th of October. He sings from a bough, generally at middle height from the ground. 

 In Scotland, he is recorded as beginning the fourth week in January and ceasing on 

 the 2nd of July, and as singing occasionally through the autumn and winter. White 

 records him as ' beginning in February and ceasing in June.' 



" The tits found about Donnybrook are Parus major, P. cseruleus, P. ater, P. lon- 

 gicaudatus, and P. palustris. Of these, the two last may be excluded from my list of 

 singing birds of that locality, as the first of them is merely an occasional winter visit- 

 ant, and the second a very rare one, having occurred there only twice to my knowledge, 

 once in the latter end of autumn, and once in the summer. Of the other three, the 

 great tit (Parus major) begins earliest ; once I find him recorded in August and twice 

 in September : he does not generally begin till the middle of January. He is the 

 most indefatigable songster of his raee ; in the beginning of February and through the 

 month of March, generally commencing his harsh song some hours before daybreak, 

 and then keeping it up for three or four hours. He ceases in the middle of June, sings 

 at an elevation, and while in pursuit of food. The nun (P. cceruleus) generally com- 

 mences towards the latter end of January, and continues in song until towards the end 

 of July. The cole tit (P. ater) commences about the same time, but ceases a little 

 earlier. The songs of all the tits are much alike, both in note, and in delivery, dura- 

 tion, &c. They all sing at an elevation, and, if the season be open, do not mind a lit- 

 tle frost. The long-tailed tit (P. longicaudatus), though not a resident in Donnybrook, 

 is plentiful enough about Miltown and Rathfarnham. It has more pretensions to song 

 than any of its congeners. It commences singing about the beginning of February, 

 and ceases in June. The song is delivered on a bush, and may be heard even in frost. 



" The lark, as a winter songster, is very irregular, and generally harsh and unmu- 

 sical until the spring suns have warmed it ; some years, however, it sings in autumn 

 as merrily as in summer or spring. Last autumn it was singing as sweetly as ever, 

 even as late as October and November. It seldom, however, commences its song till 

 about the beginning or middle of February ; and generally sings earlier in the morn- 

 ing than any other bird, and later in the evening. Weather exercises little influence 

 on its song when once it has commenced, singing as merrily in the midst of the pelt- 

 ing shower or driving sleet as in the bright sunshine ; snow or high winds alone affect 

 it. It sings late into July, but remains silent during August. Its method of singing 

 I need not describe, as it must be familiar to all ; sometimes, especially in the breed- 

 ing-season, it sings on the ground. I have shot the females in the act of singing. 



" That little fairy -like bird, the gold-crest (Regulus cristatus), comes next in order, 

 but is only an occasional winter songster. His legitimate time for song is early spring, 

 commencing in January and ending in the beginning of June : on frosty days, how- 

 ever, he may be heard singing even as early as the 18th of November. The song is 

 always delivered from an elevation, is short, and to some might even appear harsh, 

 much resembling that of the tit-mouse. 



" The most regular autumn songsters we have, excepting the robin and the wren, 

 are those of which we now come to speak, — those peerless songsters, the thrushes, or 

 at least the two great types of the genus here, the common thrush and the blackbird. 



