Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/182

 plumage of which was entirely of a cream-colour of one shade, and the under pliunage of a paler hue. It had for a long time fre- quented nursery grounds near Clonmel, where some dozen shots were from time to time tired at it.; — a penalty for showing false colours. As correctly remarked by Mr. Macgillivray, accidental varieties of tlus species are extremely rare. The bill and legs of the hedge-accentor are occasionally in this country, as well as- else- where, covered with large excrescences, like those described in the Magazine of Natural History, vol. vi. p. 154, and by the author last named, p. £56. The stomach of one examined in January, contained the seeds of vetches and fragments of stone.

The Alpine Accentor (Accentor alpinus) has, in a very few in- stances, been taken in England, but not as yet in Scotland or Ireland. I have commonly met with it in the months of June and July, on the perpetual snow of the lofty Alps of Switzerland, as towards the sum- mit of Mount St. Gothard, the Grimsel, Col de Four, &c. ; single birds, or a couple near to each other, but not in company, generally appeared.

Erythaca rubecula, Linn, (sp.)

Motacilla

Sylvia Lath.

known as are its habits, a few notes illustrative of them, as observed in the neighbourhood of Belfast may be selected ; and first, with regard to its familiarity. In the very mild winter of 1831-32 a redbreast very frequently joined a friend and Iris lady residing at Milltown in the Falls, at breakfast ; without invitation it ate of the bread and butter on the table, and when not so em- ployed, made itself quite at home by perching on the toasting- fork at the fire. In summer it built in one of the out-houses, and visited the kitchen daily ; its song was in August poured forth in the hall. In this house, also, a redbreast once built its