57 



way: Gulnaehet Irish, Knotter. Poland: Gbrnkzek. Spain: Pajarel. Sweden: 

 Gulndhhad Hdmpling, VinterMmpling. 



Linota flavirostris (L.). Dresser, Birds of Europe, IV, p. 59; Newton, 

 ed. Yarrell, 11, p. 160; Dresser, Man. Pal. Birds, p. 313. Acanthis flavi- 

 rostris (L,). Saunders, Man., p. 193. A. f. flavirostris (L.). Hartert, Vog. 

 Pal. Fauna, p. 76. 



Breeding Range: Locally in the north of England, Ireland, Scot- 

 land and the adjacent isles (but not on the Faeroes), Norway, Lapland and 

 perhaps also Finland. 



In England the Twite is chiefly confined to the mountains and moor- British 

 lands north of lat. 53° 20', although a few instances of its breeding farther ^^'^s- 

 south are on record. W. H. Hine found a small colony nesting in N. Devon 

 in 1904, but though it is said to occur locally in N. Wales, definite proofs of 

 its breeding there are still lacking. A few pairs are found on the moorlands 

 of N. Staffordshire, but it is only on the extensive grouse moors of Long- 

 dendale (Cheshire), the High Peak (Derbyshire) and W. Yorkshire that is 

 begins to be at all common. In some parts of Yorkshire it is tolerably 

 plentiful; and is found in small colonies locally in many suitable localities 

 in our northern counties, nesting not only on the hills, but in the Lancashire 

 mosses only a few feet above the sea level. In Cumberland and the Lake 

 district it is local and far from common, and though recorded from the 

 Isle of Man 40 years ago, has not been observed there recently. In Scot- 

 land it is much more numerous, breeding among the heather, not only on 

 the mainland, but also on the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Orkneys, 

 Shetlands and also on S. Kilda. On some of the islands on the west coast 

 where the heather is high it is exceedingly common, and on the Orkneys, 

 Fair Isle and Shetlands it is eveiywhere abundant. In Ireland it is locally 

 common, especially near the coast, but does not breed in the low lying bogs 

 of the midland counties, and not often on the mountain ranges inland. 



In Norway it is found sporadically in colonies in different localities, ^°°- 

 such as the Dovrefjeld and the Filefjord, in the subalpine region, as well Europe, 

 as here and there along the west coast and islands as far as Tromso 

 (lat. 69° 39' N.); while in Lapland it breeds plentifully near Karesuando 

 (Lillejeborg), and is said to have nested in Finland near Ule^borg. In 

 Sweden it is only known to occur in smaU numbers in the extreme north, 

 and its presence in N. Russia in the breeding season is very doubtful. 



On English moors, where the heather is usually short, the nest is Nest. 

 generally close to, or even on the ground, often close to a sheep track. In 

 some parts of Scotland on the other hand (such as the islets in the Firth 

 of Lome) it is not uncommon to find nests 3 or 4 ft. above the ground 

 in long, rank heather. In more open and wind swept districts, such as the 

 Outer Hebrides, where there is less cover, the Twite usually breeds on the 



