45 



visitor in many districts, though not uncommon in the valleys of Brecon. 

 In Scotland it appears to be slowly colonizing the south-eastern district, 

 and has been definitely recorded as breeding in Fife {Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist. 

 1904, p. 11), while there is reason to believe that it has nested in Perth 

 and Midlothian. 



In Norway the Hawfinch has not been proved to breed, but in Sweden ^°^- 

 it nests occasionally in Sk&ne, Blekinge, Halland and Sm^land, and has Europe, 

 occurred as far north as 64 i" N. lat. In Denmark it is chiefly found on 

 the islands, especially Zealand, and in Finland the nest has been found at 

 Helsingfors. From S. Petersburg southward it is generally distributed over 

 the wooded parts of the European plain and in the lower valleys of the 

 hilly districts, becoming more numerous in the south of Europe. In Portugal 

 it is found from Evora to Beira and the Alto Douro, but is not common 

 and chiefly met with on higher ground. In Spain it is common in the 

 wooded sierras, and a few nest in the cork wood near Gibraltar. It is fairly 

 numerous in Corsica, but local, and rare on the west coast; while in Sardinia 

 it breeds plentifully in the orchards, and is not uncommon in Sicily. It 

 is chiefly known in Italy on passage, but some are sedentary both in the 

 north and in the south. In the Balkan peninsula it appears to be generally 

 distributed, though not very numerous, and breeds in suitable localities 

 from iEtolia and the Taygetos Mts. northward. [East of the Urals the 

 limits of this race and C. c. japonicus Temm. & Schl. are not exactly 

 known.] 



The Hawfinch often breeds in gardens and orchards, generally nesting Nest. 

 on a horizontal bough of some lichen grown fruit tree, or else in a free 

 standing hawthorn. In such situations the nest is seldom built at any 

 great height, sometimes only 6 or 8 ft. from the ground. At other times 

 it prefers the outskirts of the woodlands, or isolated trees in hedgerows; 

 breeding indifferently in elms, sycamores, beeches, limes or other trees, on 

 lateral boughs, sometimes as much as 40 ft. or more from the ground, 

 and at other times among the outcrop from the trunk, only a few feet 

 high. Occasionally nests are found in hollies or on pollarded stumps in 

 hedges. The hen is a very close sitter, and as the parents are shy and 

 unobtrusive birds, the ravages of the whole family among the peas, or the 

 fringe of clipped shoots under the yew trees, are often the first intimation 

 that a brood has been hatched off in the vicinity. When built high up 

 in forest trees the nest is not easy to detect, as it is rather small for the 

 size of the bird, and somewhat shallow, but the fringe of small tAvigs 

 projecting from either side of a horizontal bough when seen from below 

 is very characteristic. In parks, orchards and old gardens several pairs 

 may be found nesting near one another. The foundation of the nest is 

 a layer of small twigs, with a shallow superstructure of bents, bark fibre 



