Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/372

348 Account of Scotland are very quaint, but a few I think must be taken with reservation. My friend Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown has kindly made a list of them for me, and I daresay will communicate it to 'The Zoologist.' — (Arden House, Dumbartonshire).

— Two birds of this species have been lately observed by some friends and myself — one near the old church of Portmarnock, on the north side of Dublin, and the other close to Milltown Railway Station, on the south side. "We have repeatedly seen the latter bird rise from the ash trees by the roadside, and describe a half-circle in the air, returning to the trees again, and frequently to the highest branch. Its song—"the monosyllibic effusion 'tsee, tsee'"—could be heard at a considerable distance, and differed a good deal from that of some Meadow Pipits close by. I have never noticed this bird before, and am glad to be able to record its occurrence. I carefully observed it for several days before writing, and hope to procure a specimen before the autumnal migration. I have looked everywhere for the Blackcap about Dublin, but this year in vain.— (Rathmines School, Dublin).

[So far as we are aware, the Tree Pipit, which is a well-known summer visitant to England and Scotland, has not hitherto been recognised in Ireland, and the present, we believe is the first recorded instance of its occurrence in the sister isle. — ]

— I was fortunate enough to obtain a specimen of the above rare Irish bird in beech woods here on the 1st June last. There were three or more in company, and I shot one while in the act of singing. I watched them for some time through a glass first, and 1 could observe well the "heaving breast aud quivering wings" as it trilled its " short, shrill, feeble, tremulous song." This latter was its more frequent note, while the "long, anxious cry four or five times repeated, which would be a sequel were it not so sweet," seemed unaccompanied by the motion of its wings. The specimen I obtained I have sent to Mr. More, for the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, who has kindly sent me the following particulars concerning its occurrence in Ireland: — Thompson, in his 'Natural History of Ireland ' (vol. i., p. 189), mentions it as holding "a very doubtful place in our fauna." He then gives two instances of nests belonging to a larger and whiter bird than the Willow Wren, but both were lined with feathers, which the Wood Wren is known not to use; it seems to me also that "greener" or "yellower" would be a more appropriate adjective to apply to the Wood Wren. In Prof. Newton's edition of "Yarrell" (vol. i., p. 430;, it is stated that "Mr. Halting was informed by Sir V. Brooke of his having shot it in County Fermanagh,* and by Mr. Blake-Knox of his

Is this specimen still in existence? [We believe it lias been preserved by sir Victor Brooke. — ]