Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/146

 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 Eedhall, 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.V. 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 Fermanagh. 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. E. Ball, in 1818, was considered an extraordinary rarity. In Kerry, they were first seen in 1827 by the late Mr. T. P. 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 winch stretch farthest towards the mountain tops.

This bird builds very early; — before the trees put forth their

Poole,