40 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 



SISKIN. — Chrysomitris spinus, (Linu). 

 A WINTER and spring visitant, of rare occurrence on 

 the north coast, but more frequently met with in 

 South Devon, both in winter, autumn and the spring 

 of the year. I have shot the Siskin, myself, at 

 Broadclyst ; Baron A. von Hiigel met with it in 

 January, at Torquay ; considerable numbers are 

 sometimes caught near Exeter, and Mr. H. NichoUs 

 often observes small flocks of Siskins near Kings- 

 bridge. At Plymouth, Mr. Gatcombe often met with 

 the bird, in 1880, as early as September, in which 

 month some young Siskins were captured in company 

 with Goldfinches ; in the spring of the same year a 

 flock of thirty or forty Siskins visited the larch 

 trees in Bickleigh Vale, and four were shot ; their 

 stomachs were full of insects, (Zool. 1880. p. 250). 

 In winter these birds chiefly frequent the alder 

 bushes in search of food, 



GREENFINCH. — Ligurinus chloris, (Linn). 



An abundant resident, nesting in our gardens and 

 shrubberies, flocking in the open fields in autumn. 

 Mr Gatcombe records that extraordinary numbers 

 of Greenfinches visited Plymouth, in the beginning 

 of the winter 1884-5, remaining until the end of 

 March. Places in the docks, where ships discharged 

 their cargoes of grain actually swarmed with them, 

 and when on the ground, although mingled with the 

 usual vast flocks of Sparrows frequenting the 

 locality, their plumage gave a strong green tint to 



