SISKIN. 403 



birds, which, during their stay, frequented the margins of 

 rivers, and other small streams, where the alder generally 

 grows spontaneously and in abundance, upon the seeds of 

 which tree, and that of the birch, they appeared principally to 

 subsist/' From that time to 1833, he could not find that any 

 had migrated into that part of the country. Near Killin, in 

 Perthshire, some of these birds were observed by himself and 

 Sir William Jardine "to be in pairs in the month of June, 

 inhabiting a wood of very old and lofty pines." 



Montagu says that in December 1805 a small flock was seen 

 feedinof on the seeds of the alder trees, in South Devon ; and 

 various observers have noted their occurrence in other parts of 

 England, and particularly in the neighbourhood of London, 

 where they are occasionally obtained by the bird-catchers. Mr. 

 Neville Wood states that " it has been ascertained to breed 

 in several parts of Scotland."' " Mr. Gardiner," he continues, 

 " has likewise found it to breed in the neighbourhood of Edin- 

 burgh. But I have heard of no authentic instance of its breed- 

 ing in England." 



I have only to add, that little additional information is to be 

 found respecting it in the works of our best ornithologists, ex- 

 cepting as to its manners in a state of confinement, where it is 

 said to sing little, but to manifest a cheerful and lively dispo- 

 sition. 



Since the above was written, my respected friend, Mr. Weir 

 of Boghead, an acute and indefatigable observer of birds, has 

 enabled me to record an authentic instance of the Siskin's breed- 

 ing in Scotland. 



" About the latter end of May 1834, as I was returning 

 from Bathgate, I was astonished at seeing, on the parish road 

 between it and my house, a pair of Siskins feeding very greedi- 

 ly on the ripe tops of the dandelion. The head of the male 

 was very dark, and the yellow on its wings uncommonly rich. 

 I followed them for several hundred yards, being exceedingly 

 anxious to discover their nest. In this, however, I did not 

 succeed, as they flew oiF to a considerable distance, when I lost 

 sight of them. Several individuals with whom I was inti- 

 mately acquainted told me that they had seen them near to 



Dd2 



