122 
MERULIM. 
The remarkable feature in the history of this bird, is its absence 
from the country until of late years, and its rapid increase from 
the period of its first appearance, — an observation which applies 
to Great Britain as well as to Ireland. The first individual that 
I have heard of, occurring in the north of Ireland, was shot by 
John Sinclaire, Esq., about the year 1800, from a flock of field- 
fares, at Bedhall, in the county of Antrim. Within a very few 
years afterwards, the species bred at Belvoir Park, county of 
Down; and in 1807 my friend just named observed a nest at 
Oriel Temple, county of Louth. In Tollymore Park, situated at 
the base of the mountains of Mourne (Down), it is said to have 
been first known about 1830. Mr. J. Y. Stewart remarked, in 
1832, with respect to the north-west of Donegal, that it had been 
quite unknown there until within the few preceding years, but was 
then common and resident — flocks of from fifteen to twenty being 
seen at the approach of autumn. About that time a specimen 
was sent to me from the county of Eermanagh. In 1839, the 
species was said to have been increasing much of late years in the 
neighbourhood of Portumna, county of Galway. Around Clonmel 
(Tipperary) it was then common. In 1845, missel thrushes were 
plentiful in the wooded districts of the county of Wexford, where 
they had been known only for about ten years ; * and at the same 
period were numerous in the county of Waterford, where some 
years before they had been rare. They have for some time been 
common in the county of Cork : — one shot there by Mr. B. Ball, in 
1818, was considered an extraordinary rarity. In Kerry, they 
were first seen in 1827 by the late Mr. T. E. Neligan, who ob- 
served a gradual increase annually to their numbers until 1837, 
when the communication was made to me. 
In the counties of Antrim and Down, the missel thrush was 
at first confined to the warm and richly wooded districts, but 
gradually spread from them over the plantations generally ; and 
of late years it has inhabited those which stretch farthest towards 
the mountain tops. 
This bird builds very early ;--before the trees put forth their 
* Poole. 
