BIRDS. 121 



Twite, or Mountain Linnet. Very rare, except on the 

 A . ftavirostris. Welsh border. Mr. Lees saw a large 



flock near Oswestry, April 6th, 1897. 

 Mr. Rocke says it nests on the Longmynd. 



BULLFINCH B. Not uncommon in woods, and nests in 



Pyrrhula turopaa. thick bushes near Shrewsbury, etc. 



Occasionally goes in large flocks, 



especially in the autumn. Rev. J. B. Meredith says 



the Bullfinch is very destructive to leaf-buds on Plum 



trees, etc., and that it does not as is often stated 



attack only those that are infested with grubs. 



Crossbill B. A Winter visitor of very uncertain occur- 

 Loxia curvirostra. rence. Shropshire was invaded by 



Dec. ii. Mar. iv. large numbers of Crossbills, from 

 December, 1894, to tne en d of March, 

 1895, an d each winter since it has been numerous in the 

 County. A pair nested in a fir tree at Llanyblodwel, in 

 September, 1880, while it has been seen all through the 

 year in several places. A brood of quite young ones 

 were seen at Grinshill in 1898, and it is also reported to 

 have bred at Willey a few years ago. Indeed it seems 

 likely to become resident here if unmolested. The nest 

 mentioned above as occurring in September, was pro- 

 bably a second brood, as the Crossbill is said to be a 

 very early breeder, and generally has the nest ready for 

 eggs in February or March. 



Parrot Crossbill. This large race is very rare. Mr. Rocke 



L. pityopsittactts. saw two obtained near Oswestry, and 



one killed near Shifnal in 1862. Two 



mentioned by Pennant as out of Shropshire, seem to 



belong to this variety. 



