ON THE NESTING OF THE HAWFINCH IN FIFESHIRE 11 



account l of the stomach of a full-grown specimen of the 

 small species of cachalot Cogia (Kogia) breviceps, stranded 

 near Dunedin in August 1900, found a great quantity of 

 cuttle beaks, lenses of eyes, the remains of the pens of 

 some Loligo-like species, and some partially digested red 

 membranes with horny, conical teeth-like structures growing 

 from thick white patches, recalling gizzard teeth of Aplysia. 



ON THE NESTING OF THE HAWFINCH IN 



FIFESHIRE. 



By WILLIAM BERRY, B.A., LL.B., M.B.O.U. 



I HAVE the satisfaction of placing on record the fact that 

 the Hawfinch can now be included among the species which 

 have been found breeding in Scotland. 



The Hawfinch is a bird of shy and retired habits, and, 

 in spite of its somewhat singular appearance and shape, very 

 readily succeeds in escaping observation. 



Writing in 1837, Macgillivray describes the Hawfinch 

 as an irregular visitant in the northern parts of the island, 

 appearing here and there in various parts of the country 

 towards the beginning of winter ; he adds that, although 

 more frequently met with in England than in Scotland, it 

 was not so rare in the latter country as had been supposed, 

 several specimens killed in the southern counties of Scotland 

 having come under his own inspection. Montague, writing 

 in 1802, had stated that no instance had up till then been 

 recorded of the Hawfinch having bred in Great Britain ; and 

 this statement is simply repeated by Macgillivray on the 

 authority of Montagu, whom he characterises as perhaps 

 more to be depended upon than any other British ornithologist. 



In 1843, however, Sir William Jardine, who himself 

 wrote the volumes on " British Birds " in the " Naturalists' 

 Library," ' 2 was able to carry the history of the bird a stage 

 further. He records that the Hawfinch had lately been 

 ascertained to breed in some parts of the South of England, 

 his own collection having been furnished with specimens of 



1 " Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.," May 21, 1901, vol. ii. 

 2 "Nat. Lib.," vol. xxv. ; "Brit. Birds," vol. ii. p. 269. 



