THE BIKDS OF HELIGOLAND 391 



192. — Twite [Berghanfling]. 



FRINGILLA MONTIUM, Gmelm.i 



Heligolandish : Road-ejeahssed = iJeii-iJttmy. 

 Fringilla montium. Naumann, v. 103. 



Twite. Dresser, iv. 59. 



Gros-bec de montagne. Temminck, Manuel, i. 368, iii. 262. 



One can hardly imagine a merrier company than a flock of 

 these little birds ; their favourite resorts are fields lying fallow, 

 and thickly ovei-grown with wild mustard ; and it is amusing, on 

 approaching too close to the birds, suddenly to see a dense 

 crowd of from sixty to a hundred of them rising, amid shrill pipings, 

 from all sides to a height of from ten to twelve feet ; then, after a 

 slight wheeling movement, returning all with one accord, amid 

 general noise, to the spot they occupied before. In this raanceuvre 

 the birds which have taken flight are guided back to their old 

 place by the long-drawn, flute-like call-notes of some individuals 

 which have remained on the ground. Sometimes they will rise 

 only two or three feet before falling in again ; but whichever move- 

 ment they adopt, this is always carried out by the whole flock 

 collected in a dense crowd, each mdividual making at the same 

 time as much noise as its small yellow biU will allow. This small 

 and interesting Finch has only received a very modest share of the 

 red pattern which is pecuUar to the group. It occurs here during 

 October and November to the number of hundreds of individuals 

 in one day, and also, though less numerously, through the whole of 

 December. It also arrives frequently in countless numbers with 

 a sudden and heavy snowfall. 



Its spring migration occurs in March, when it is met with rather 

 less numerously, though still in flocks numbering up to fifty indi- 

 viduals. 



193.— Mealy Redpoll [Leinfink]. 

 FRINGILLA LINARIA, Linn.^ 



Heligolandish : Twieweleahr and Road-hoaded — the first being the name 

 applied to the males, the second to females and young — and signifying 

 Bed-headed. 



Fringilla linaria. Naumann, v. 173. 



Mealy Redpole. Dresser, iv. 37. 



Gros-becsizerin. Temminck, Manuel, i. 373, iii, 267. 



The Mealy Redpoll is an extremely irregular visitor to Heligo- 

 land. In rare and exceptional cases it occurs in really astonishing 

 ' Linota Jlaviroslris (Linn.). ^ Linota linaria {jAnn.). 



