56 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



16.2 X 12 mm. Breeding-season. — First broods early April to early 

 May, second broods June. Incubation. — Said to last 12-14 days 

 and to be performed by hen. Two broods. 



Food. — Mainly seeds of trees, not only conifers, but many 

 deciduous trees as well. Also buds recorded and young said 

 to be fed on aphides. 



Distribution. — England and Wales. — Resident and autumn-to- 

 spring visitor. A few pairs nest regularly Cumberland, and nests 

 have been recorded Durham, Yorks., Salop, and north Wales. 

 Evidence of having bred exceptionally Surrey, Sussex, Kent, and 

 other south counties, in most cases unsatisfactory. Scotland. — 

 Breeds from Perth northwards to Caithness and east Sutherland, 

 also in east Ross, occasionally in Tweed, and in small numbers in 

 Solway district, but otherwise a scarce visitor to west side, and only 

 recently recorded from O. Hebrides (Barra, autumn). In Shet- 

 lands and Fair Isle has been noted on spring and autumn passages, 

 and in Orkneys in autumn. Ireland. — Resident. Breeds locally 

 all four Provinces. 



Migrations. — British Isles. — ^Arrives in fluctuating numbers east 

 coast Great Britain from third week Sept. to first week Nov., 

 extremes Aug. 28 to Nov. 26, and departs in April and early 

 May. Has been recorded from Lights of south coast Ireland 

 in winter, which may point to occasional emigration of Irish 

 residents. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Locally in north Europe and northern 

 Asia (but absent from the high north) as far south as Alps and 

 rarely to north Italy, Balkans, and Caucasus. In winter common 

 to Mediterranean, sometimes not rare in north-west Africa. 



[Note. — The specimen of the North American Goldfinch, 

 Carduelis tristis (L.). shot on Aehill Island (Mayo), Sept. 6, 1894, had no 

 doubt escaped from captivity (c/. ZooL, 1894, p. 396).] 



CARDUELIS FLAVIROSTRIS 



20. Carduelis flavirostris fiavirostris (L.) — THE TWITE. 



Fringilla FLAVIROSTRIS Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 182 (1758— 



" Europa." Typical locality : Sweden). 



Linota fiavirostris (Linnseus), Yarrell, ii, p. 160; Saunders, p. 193. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Crown and nape streaked 

 black and buff ; hind-neck same but rather paler ; mantle, scapulars, 

 and upper tail-coverts same but more dark rufous-brown, and 

 buff edges rather darker ; rump pink, tinged brown and tipped 

 pale buff ; ear-coverts and sides of neck buff finely streaked black- 

 brown ; lores, stripe over eye, chin and throat rufous-buff ; breast 

 and flanks rather paler buff, broadly streaked dark rufous-brown ; 

 belly white, tinged buff ; under tail-coverts same, streaked black- 



