Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/180

 near Stanz, in Switzerland ; in different parts of Italy ; and in the royal garden at the palace of Fontainebleau, in France, where on the 30th of August, a whole family of them appeared at once, and their fine bright colours were in admirable keeping with the lovely flowers around. When sailing in H. M. S. Beacon, from Malta to the Morea, in April, 1841, a female bird of this species flew on board on the 25th, when we were about 60 miles from Calabria, — the nearest land — and 135 from Mount Etna: on the 27th two other females alighted on the rigging and were captured; we were then 45 miles from Zante (the nearest land), and 60 from the Morea.

Accentor modularis, Cuv.

Motacilla Linn.

A favourite haunt of this bird, so plain in plumage and unob- trusive in its habits, is the base of thick white-thorn hedges, where we are often amused on perceiving it thread its way, evi- dently as happy and contented as if no obstacles were opposed to its progress : we may often too, see it come quietly stealing out of heaps of pea-rods piled up in the outskirts of the garden, where its early nest (sometimes built in the first week of April,) with the beautiful bluish-green eggs, so much prized by juvenile depredators, will not unfrequently be found.* A nest which came under my observation was formed exteriorly of grass and mosses (Hypna) : and with the exception of a small tuft of hair, was lined entirely with the latter, some of the graceful urn-shaped capsules of which, rich-brown in hue, most picturesquely nodded over the four beautiful bluish-green eggs. This bird is not confined to the country,

Since this was written, remarks on the species to the same effect, hut fuller and better, have been published by Sir. Wm. Jardine, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 187. Mr. Macgillivray too, gives an excellent account of its habits, vol. ii. p. 251 ; and it is very agreeably treated of in the Journal of a Naturalist, p. 148.