8o HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



SISKIN. Garduelis spinus (Linnoeus). PL 13, figs. 13, 14. 

 Length, 4-5 in.; wing, 2*75 in.; tarsus, 0*55 in. 



Nests regularly in Scotland in the fir-woods, 

 but in England, as a rule, it is a winter visitant. 

 The nest, however, has been found exceptionally 

 in Westmorland, Durham (Zool., 1875, p. 4420), 

 Lancashire, Yorkshire (Walton Hall), Oxfordshire, 

 Gloucestershire, Surrey, and Dorsetshire (Ibis, 

 1865, p. 129); and also in Sussex and Middle- 

 sex. 



In Ireland the Siskin occurs chiefly as a winter 

 visitor, but instances of its breeding in Antrim, 

 Wicklow, Sligo, and Waterford are recorded. See 

 Zool, 1852, p. 3708; 1872, p. 3235; 1874, p. 

 3914; 1876, p. 4957; 1885, p. 345; and 1886, 

 p. 489. 



The name Siskin is derived from the Swedish 

 siske, a chirper or piper. In Germany it is known 

 as Erlenzeisig, or Alder-finch, an appropriate name, 

 from its partiality for the seeds of the alder. In 

 Sussex it is known as the Barley - bird, from its 

 appearance in the barley seed-time. Elsewhere 

 this name is applied to the Yellow Wagtail, but 

 the last-named bird does not usually arrive before 

 April 7th, while barley is generally sown in Feb- 

 ruary and March, when the Siskin is here, but the 

 Yellow Wagtail is not. 



The name Aberdevine, applied to this bird in 

 1735 by Albin, appears to be quite obsolete; at 

 least I do not find that it is now anywhere in use. 



