234 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



in counties Antrim, Down, Wicklow and Waterford. 

 Outside the British Islands the Siskin has an 

 enormous range, extending across Europe and Asia 

 to Japan. It may be said to breed throughout the 

 pine region of this vast area ; in winter visiting more 

 southern and less elevated regions of the Mediter- 

 ranean countries (including North-west Africa), 

 South China and Japan. Its Siberian limits are by 

 no means yet clearly defined. 



It is quite possible that the individual Siskins 

 which breed in the British Islands never leave them, 

 and that the birds of this species spread generally 

 over the English counties, and elsewhere, during 

 autumn and winter are migrants from the Continent, 

 either visiting our area for the cold months or passing 

 across it to more southern localities. The habits of 

 this bird very closely resemble those of the preceding 

 species. In autumn and winter it assembles into 

 flocks which wander about, often associated with 

 Tits and Redpoles, in quest of food. They are by 

 no means shy birds ; and it is a pretty sight to watch 

 a restless party of them amongst the alder trees, 

 now bare of leaves, and rendering observation an 

 easy task. During this ceaseless quest the birds 

 are incessantly twittering to each other (possibly 

 for the purpose of keeping the flock together) as 

 they flit about in the branches and hurry from tree 

 to tree, throwing themselves into a variety of atti- 

 tudes in their efforts to obtain the seeds at the 



