66 The Siskin 



to the inner web excepting towards the tips, the primaries narrowly margined with 

 A'cllow and, excepting the first three, with broad yellow bases, forming a belt 

 which extends across the secondaries : central tail-feathers blackish, the remainder 

 3-ellow, with black shafts and broad blackish tips ; a broad superciliary streak 

 extending from above the eye to the nape ; lores blackish ; sides of face greenish 

 yellow, more green on the ear-coverts ; chin black ; throat and breast bright 

 3'ellow ; belly white, the flanks sordid yellowish, streaked with black : beak horn- 

 brown, paler at the base (becoming paler and pinker in confinement) ; feet pale 

 brown (also becoming more fleshy in captivity-) ; iris dark brown. The female 

 is slightly smaller and has a broader crown than the male, she is altogether duller 

 and greyer in colouring, with less yellow on tlie rump, wings, and tail, and with 

 the underparts much more streaked ; she has also no black on the crown or chin. 

 The young are still duller and gre3'er than the female. 



The Siskin is a bird of the pine woods during the breeding season, though 

 in winter it wanders aboiit the countr}- in small or sometimes large flocks, which 

 reach the south of England in September, and are eagerl}- welcomed by the bird- 

 catchers who net considerable numbers to sell as cage-birds. The Siskin is an 

 extremely restless bird, and in all its actions reminds one strongl}' of the Tit-mice ; 

 its flight is rapid but irregular, like its song; but the latter to ni}- mind is superior 

 to that of any other British Finch, in spite of its comical finish with six coupled 

 notes and a harsh chair at the end. The call-note is neither gUc, zei^ig nor a weak 

 tit-tit-tit-iit ; it is distinctly hootelee, JwoteUe ; the word ^f-Ar is doubtless a corruption 

 of the telee (which is all that the ear can compass in the open, though in an aviar}- 

 with sloping roof the whole sound is clearly audible) ; the term cc/.v/V probabl}' 

 was given to this bird by the Germans more on account of its frivolous nature, 

 than because it in the slightest degree represented the character of either song 

 or call-note ; * I can only explain the quadrupled ///, on the assumption that a 

 party of young Robins happened to be in a tree occupied by Siskins. 



Mr. R. J. Ussher's notes on this species, which I quoted in my "Handbook 

 of British Oology," will bear repeating here ; he sa3-s : — " In April and ]Ma3% 

 1857, Siskins were unusually common at Cappagh, in the woods of fir, both on 

 the low ground and on the hill-side ; in fact, the woods were continuall3- ringing 

 with the song of this bird. Yon might hear it as it flew over the wood uttering 

 its peculiar cr3% half chirp, half song ; at one time fl3'ing straight forward, as if 

 to some destination, then turning and making a circuit, as if it did not know its 

 own mind, or as if it were loth to descend from its jo3-ous flight, then again 

 darting oft" in a new direction, whilst its notes would gradually die awa3'. Its 



• The Mealy Redpoll is sometimes called " Ldnzeisig." 



