TWITE. BULLFINCH. 233 



'* that this species of finch visits Beechamwell very early 

 in the spring, and feeds upon the seeds of the alder as 

 they drop from the cones," and one example is said to 

 have been killed as late as the 23rd of May. 



PYRRHULA VULGARIS, Temminck. 



BULLFINCH. 



This handsome bird is met with throughout the 

 year frequenting our gardens and orchards in spring, 

 and retiring into the smaller woods and plantations 

 during the nesting season, but it is by no means so 

 plentiful in Norfolk as in some other counties, and is 

 also somewhat local in its habits. So much has been 

 written upon the destruction of buds in our gardens and 

 orchards, by this species in particular, that I could 

 wish to introduce the following remarks by no less 

 an authority, on entomological subjects, than the 

 Editor of the "Zoologist," to the notice of every gar- 

 dener in the united kingdom. Writing on the larva of 

 Cheimatohia hrumata (Zoologist, p. 8699), he says, — • 

 **The apterous female of this very common species lays 

 its eggs in the crevices of the bark of various trees and 

 shrubs during November and December ; the larvae make 

 their appearance early in the spring, and commence 

 their destructive career, by eating into the young unex- 

 panded buds. At this time of the year, the bullfinches 

 and titmice render the most important service to the 

 gardener by their activity in devouring this little garden 

 pest." If to this essential benefit to man we add also 

 the consumption of innumerable seeds of thistles, and 

 other noxious weeds, to which they are particularly 

 partial; one individual, in confinement, having been 

 known (Zoologist, p. 9360) to eat two hundred and 

 2h 



