192 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Rev. E. P. Knubley found several pairs breeding on Pilmoor 

 {Nat. 1882, p. 179), which is only eighty feet above the sea, 

 though in this fact there is nothing extraordinary, as I have 

 frequently found the nest in the Hebrides almost on the 

 sea-level. 



In autumn and winter the Twite descends to the valleys 

 and low grounds and is then seen in greater numbers, more 

 generally distributed, and is occasionally snared in the nets 

 of the professional bird-catchers. 



A considerable influx of migrants from the north takes 

 place during October and November, associated with 

 Linnets and other small birds ; when they first arrive the 

 Spurn and Kilnsea districts are their favourite haunts, and 

 at this season they are also met with at most of the coast 

 stations, Flamborough, Scarborough, and the Teesmouth ; 

 they soon, however, distribute themselves over the county 

 and are then met with at many inland localities, though not 

 in such abundance as formerly. The return migration usually 

 commences in March or April. 



Some old males shot in October 1881, from a flock at Spurn, 

 had the colour above the tail almost as rich as in the breeding 

 season. 



This bird nests earlier in Yorkshire than in Scotland, 

 where May is the usual month for nidification ; a nest and 

 eggs were found at Romanby, near Northallerton, on the 20th 

 of April 1882, and Messrs. Slater and Knubley discovered 

 them on Pilmoor on the 27th of the same month. Though 

 the winter assemblages sometimes do not break up till late 

 in spring, in Swaledale, in 1888, they were still to be seen 

 in flocks on the 20th of May. 



Several instances are chronicled of white varieties being 

 procured : two at Bewerley near Pateley [Zool. 1850, p. 2953) ; 

 one at Bedale (James Carter, Field, August i8th 1877) ; one 

 on the moors near Huddersfield (S. L. Mosley MS.). 



Of local names, Swainson gives Twite Finch as used in 

 the North Riding ; Mountain Linnet is general ; Twate or 

 Twate Finch appears to be a variant of the usual name ; 

 Grey Linnet or Grey Lenny is used in Cleveland and in the 



