252 THE OBNITHOLOOY OF BERWIOKSHIRE. 



ingale; the grasshopper warhlcr (Saliraria JocusfrUa), and the little 

 pettychaps {Si/lvia hippolais). Other species also, we have remarked 

 of late years, do not abound to the extent they formerly used to do : 

 such is the case with the sedgo- warbler {Salicaria phragmitu) and 

 white-throat {Curruca cinerea), and the wliinchat {^axicola rubetra). 

 This defalcation wo are inclined to attribute chiefly to the effect of an 

 improved system of agriculture, which, by draining and reclaiming the 

 marshy spots, and little tangled thickets of sallow, and other rough 

 and rampant herbage that used to be so common in many of our fields, 

 and the attention that is now paid to the cleansing of hedges, which 

 are annually divested of their weeds, has destroyed the favourite and 

 appropriate breeding-places of the birds, and may probably also, in so 

 doing, have lessened the supply of some peculiar insect food, necessary 

 to their own economy, or that of tlieir young. 



Among the occasional visitants is the Lanius exculitor (great butcher 

 bird), which is only seen during the autumnal and winter months ; and 

 that beautiful member of the Ampelida), the Bohemian waxwing 

 {BonihyciUa garrala) ; most of our members will recollect the graceful 

 actions and appearance of the beautiful specimen so long alive in the 

 possession of Dr Johnston. The appearance of this species is very 

 tmcertain, and sometimes many years elapse without the occurrence of 

 a single individual. Of the Pringillidiio, we enumerate nine permanent 

 residents, three periodical winter visitants, and three occasional 

 visitants. Among the periodical winter visitants, the snow-flake 

 {Plectrophanes nivalis) sometimes appears in great numbers, particularly 

 in the upland districts, where they haunt the open grassy tracts as 

 well as the oat-stubbles ; in storms of snow they descend towards the 

 coast, where small flocks of adult males are often seen together, the 

 females and young birds keeping by themselves, and generally in 

 larger bodies. The mountain finch {FringiUa montifringilUi) is another 

 winter visitant from the Arctic Regions, and in some seasons is very 

 numerous. It often associates with the chaffinches, to wliich it is 

 nearly allied ; but may be distinguished from it by its note, call, and 

 superior size. Of the occasional visitants, the siskin ( Carduelis spitius), 

 an elegant little bird, is sometimes very abundant during the winter 

 and early spring months ; it is generally seen where the birch and the 

 alder abound, as the seeds of these trees are its favourite food ; on 

 this account it is most frequently seen on the banks of our rivers and 

 burns, where the latter tree usually grows. The crossbill is another 

 bird whose visits used formerly to be at very uncertain intervals, but 

 which, of late years, has almost assumed the habits of a permanent 

 resident, and has been found breeding in the island ; this change of 

 habit we attribute to the extensive plantations spread over the king- 



