PERCHING BIRDS. 103 
turing flies on the wing, springing up in the manner of 
the flycatchers, and again returning to its perch. I 
once watched a female clinging to the wall of my house, 
and apparently employed in picking out insects from 
the joints of the bricks; she was thus engaged a con- 
siderable time, shifting her position easily, and using 
her tail as a fulcrum, in the manner of the woodpeckers. 
They are very fond of the tender leaves of radishes 
when first peeping through the ground, and often cause 
much annoyance by their depredations, but they are 
good friends in other. ways, freeing us from many insect 
foes. 
The pretty Mountain Finch (FP. montifringilla) is a 
constant winter visitor, chiefly frequenting the beech 
woods, where it feeds upon the mast. Sometimes a 
straggler may be seen associated with linnets, but they 
generally visit us in small flocks. consisting only of 
their own species. The abundance ot beech trees in 
Thoresby and Rufford Parks affords plentiful supply of 
mast ; there the mountain finch is found in varying num- 
bers. They do not exhibit much shyness, but permit 
themselves to be approached within a few yards while 
they are feeding ; I have even seen them come close to 
the house without showing signs of alarm. They gene- 
rally leave us about the middle of March for their 
northern breeding grounds. 
I was for some time unaware that the Tree Sparrow 
(Passer montanus, Ray), was an inhabitant of our dis- 
trict. I had often found nests with their eggs in hollow 
trees, but I had always considered that they were those 
of the house sparrow. Having, however, shot one of 
the owners of a nest which I found in a cavity of a pol- 
lard willow, I saw at once my mistake, and recognised 
iy 
