152 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



Skerry vore Lighthouse {t.c, 1904, pp. 126 and 187), May 3rd, 

 ? Shetland, and July 19th, 3 juv., Peterhead, Aberdeenshire 

 {Zool, 1904, pp. 230 and 384) ; 1906, November 11th, one 

 caught at Skerryvore Lighthouse {Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1907, 

 p. 26) ; 1907, March 18th, one shot at Touch, Stirlingshire, 

 April 25th, (? ad., picked up dead at Smeaton-Hepburn, East 

 Lothian (t.c, 1907, pp. 181-2). 



Ireland. — Although it had occurred in all quarters, it was 

 known only as a rare winter visitor (c/. Birds of Ireland, p. 53) 

 until in 1902 an old bird was observed feeding young near 

 Straft'an, co. Kildare, and Hawfinches have been observed there 

 all through the nesting season since 1896 {Irish Nat., 1902, 

 p. 250 ; 1903, p. 111). It is interesting to note that Mr. Ussher 

 found remains of the bird in the upper stratum of the cave- 

 deposits at Newhall, co. Clare {Irish Nat., 1906, p. 136). 



Mr. W. P. Pycraft has pointed out that near the gape on each 



Horny " crusliing pads " on the palate and lower jaw of the Hawfinch. 



side of the lower jaw of the Hawfinch there is a large rounded 

 boss, having a finely striated surface. On the palate, 

 immediately above, there is an oblong horny pad similarly 

 striated. Mr. Pycraft suggested that these protuberanc( s 

 served as crushing organs {Bull. B.O.C.. XV., p. 37). 



{To he coniinned.) 



