190 FRINGILLTD^. 



cases occur from time to time, and, as mentioned by Mr. G. 

 J. D. Lees (Zool. 1877, p. 254), a nest with four young was 

 found on March IGth of the present year in a fir on the out- 

 skirts of Bournemouth in Hampshire. According to infor- 

 mation collected by Mr. More it has been known to breed 

 in the following English counties besides those already in- 

 dicated : — Devon, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Herts, Leicester 

 and Cumberland. Bedford may be added to this list.* 



The visits of this species to various parts of our islands 

 happen at irregular periods, sometimes with intervals of 

 many years as regards any particular place ; and some 

 curious records of the appearance of large flocks have been 

 preserved. The earliest known of these is by the chronicler 

 Matthew Paris and has reference to the year 1251, thus : — 



Anni quoq; sub ejusdem circulo, temporibus fructuum, 

 quffidam aves mirabiles, quae nunquam in Auglia antea vide- 

 bantur, in pomeriis maxime apparuerunt, alaudis parum ma- 

 jores, pomorum grana, & non aliud de eisdem pomis com- 

 edentes : unde dampnose nimis arbores suis fructibus vidu- 

 arunt. Habebant autem partes rostri cancellatas, per quas po- 

 ma quasi forcipe vel cultello dividebant. Partes insuper pomo- 

 rum, quas relinquebant, fuerant quasi veneno intoxicatse." f 



Li illustration of the foregoing, Wats, in 1640 the editor 

 of Matthew's work, appended (Vita duorum Oft'arum &c. p. 

 263) a Latin version of an account of a similar visitation,! 



* Mr. More included Norfolk in Lis list, apparently by mistake for Suffolk, as 

 Miss Gurney's record bad not then been published. The instance is not solitary, 

 for Lord Lilford bas stated his belief to the Editor that it has several times bred 

 in West Norfolk. As regards Suffolk, besides the nests mentioned by Sheppard 

 and Whitear long ago, the Editor recollects the species being so continuously 

 common for about two consecutive years (1846-48) at and about Elveden that he 

 has not a doubt of its having bred there at that time, though no nest was found. 

 It did not remain a resident in the district. 



f Thanks to the good otiices of his friend Mr. Lewis, F.S. A. the Editor has 

 enjoyed the privilege of consulting the original MS. of this work now in the 

 library of Corpus-Christi College, Cambridge. The page containing the passage 

 quoted above (fol. 252) has in the margin a figure purporting to be a representa- 

 tion of one of the wonderful birds, but it is rude and not characteristic. 



J Wats, it may be remarked, invites his readers to judge whether the species 

 of bird be not the Loxia qf Gesner and Aldrovandus. 



11 



