Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/166

 garded only as a mode of repeating its notes, called by bird- fanciers "recording."

Of the stomachs of three redwings opened by me, one (in Janu- ary) contained the remains of insects, two shells of Helix cettaria, and one of H. radiata; two (in December) exhibited worms, vege- table food, chiefly bits of grass, remains of coleopterous insects, and several Limacetti ; one had in addition two of the Bulimus luhricus, a Helix hisjnda, and three of H. rufescens : some of these shells were perfect.

likewise resort to the islands off the coasts. In the summer of 1827 I remarked them among the underwood sparingly scat- tered over the Lighthouse island (one of the Copelands), off the county of Down. Dr. J. D. Marshall mentions one or two being occasionally seen in the wild island of Rathlin, about a garden where they sometimes breed. The indigenous birds do not congregate with us, nor have I ever heard of flocks being seen in any part of this country on their migration from the north of Europe, as they have been in England.* They are indeed stated to be more numerous about Tralee (co. Kerry) in winter than in summer, but their comparative scarcity at the latter season is attributed to the want of woods and thickets wherein to build.

In the middle of June, I have heard the blackbird sing at Wolf-hill as early in the morning as a quarter past 2 o'clock. In 1832, it was noted as ceasing its song about the middle of June, soon after which time the thrush also ceased : so late as the 25th of July, 1845, the blackbird's song was heard near Belfast. Captain Walker of Belmont, Wexford, remarked in a letter to me,

Selby's Illustr. of Brit. Orb. vol. i. p. 167, second edition.