Natural History of Ireland. 4«'33 



in the very late spring of 1837, they still frequented their winter 

 quarters, the great body of them remaining longer than ever before 

 known to him. I am likewise informed that they remained in the 

 county of Kerry last spring until the end of April, a period later 

 than had before been observed. With respect to his present neigh- 

 bourhood, and that of Killaloe, his fomer residence, the Rev. Thomas 

 Knox of Toomavarat, remarks in a letter to me, that the fieldfares 

 are not so numerous, and are always later in appearing than the 

 redwings, and that if the weather be mild, they retire for weeks toge- 

 ther, though in the depth of winter, but one or two nights of frost 

 are certain to bring them back again . When they disappear he thinks 

 they visit the mountains. Such are their habits in the north, as in 

 the open weather they frequent the upland districts, but are driven 

 to thelowlandsby frost and snow, (see Journal of a Naturalist, p. 259, 

 third ed. for the opposite procedure.) Their favourite haunts 

 around Belfast are the fields skirting the base, and most nearly ap- 

 proximating the mountains, more especially if surrounded by tall 

 white-thorn hedges that for the sake of shelter have been permitted 

 to grow to maturity in a state of unpruned and wild luxuriance. 



When returning at a late hour from hunting, I have several times 

 in the short days of winter raised flocks of fieldfares that were roost- 

 ing near the summit of heath-clad hills considerably distant from 

 their daily haunts, as well as from any hedges or plantations. A 

 valued friend and correspondent states that he once saw a flock of 

 about five hundred perched for the night ona spruce-firnear Youghal. 



That fieldfares generally, as in England, leave the northern parts 

 of this country when a severe frost sets gradually in, I have little 

 doubt, from having at such times remarked their scarcity. Though 

 the species is naturally wild and difficult of approach, such indivi- 

 duals as remain behind suffer so severely, perhaps from cold, in ad- 

 dition to the want of food, as to become easy victims to the most 

 juvenile sportsmen. 



As a difference of opinion exists among authors on the subject of 

 the fieldfare's food, I give the contents of the stomachs of six indi- 

 viduals that I have examined, and which were killed at various 

 times and places during two seasons. Of these one contained two 

 limacelli, (internal shells of naked snails belonging to the genus Li- 

 max, Linn.) the remains of coleopterous insects, and some vegetable 

 matter ; with this last substance only the second was supplied j 

 the third was filled with oats alone, though the weather had been 

 mild for some time before, and when it was shot ; the fourth con- 

 tained worms and bits of grass ; these last, together with pieces of 



