BIRDS. 119 



nests having been found in one year close to Shrewsbury. 

 It is very partial to peas, and if it finds a row in a 

 garden will split the pods neatly and pick out every pea 

 till it has finished the entire row. 



GOLDFINCH B. Provincial names, Seven-coloured Lin- 

 Carduelis elegans. net, Proud tailor, and Sheriff's man ; 



all in allusion to its gay colouring. 

 Still fairly numerous in spite of bird-catchers. Its well- 

 known partiality for the seeds of thistle and groundsel 

 makes it favour localities where those weeds abound. 



Siskin B. Abundant in some Winters (as in February, 



Chrysomitris spinus. 1898), when it may be seen going 



Nov. in. Feb. in. about in little flocks, while in other 



years very few are seen. It frequents 



alder trees often in company with Redpoles. A pair 



nested at Grinshill in 1898, but the eggs were destroyed 



by a Jay. 



SPARROW B. Far too numerous, owing to the ruthless 

 Passer domesticus. slaughter of its natural enemy, the 



Sparrow Hawk. Sparrows destroy 

 quantities of seeds, both in gardens and farms, and drive 

 away many of the birds, smaller or weaker than them- 

 selves, which are useful to man in keeping in check 

 the many insects pests. The hen sparrow differs from 

 the cock in having no black on the throat, or grey on 

 the pate, whereas in the next species both sexes are 

 alike. 



TREE SPARROW B. Closely resembles the preceding, 

 P. montanus. but, besides the distinction just men- 



tioned, the Tree Sparrow may be 

 known by the black patch on the side of the neck, which 



