The Distribution of Birds in Great Britain. 429 



FRINGILLA CARDUELIS (Linn.}. Goldfinch. 



Provinces I.-XVII. 



Subprovinces 1-34, 35. 



Lat. 50-59. " British" type, or general. 



Rare in the north of Scotland, though reputed to breed regularly in 

 Ross-shire (Mr. Danford} and occasionally in Caithness (Mr. H. 

 Osborne] ; the late Mr. St. John also observed the bird in Sutherland. 



The Goldfinch is said to be decreasing in several of the northern 

 districts ; and if we look to the account given by Mr. Knox of the great 

 numbers annually destroyed by birdcatchers in the autumnal migration, 

 there can be no doubt that the Goldfinch and many other of the Finches 

 and Linnets are destroyed in a most reckless and unprofitable manner. 

 Without wishing for protective laws like those enacted in France, we 

 cannot avoid registering this protest against the cruel and useless 

 slaughter which Mr. Knox deplores, in his ' Ornithological Rambles ' 

 (ed. 3, p. 78). 



FRINGILLA SPINUS (Linn.}. Siskin. 



Provinces II. III. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XXII.' 

 Subprovinces 4, 7, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35. 

 Lat. 50 or 54-59. Scottish" type. Not positively known to breed 

 in Ireland (Zool. p. 3708). 



The Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge tells me that he once found a 

 Siskin's nest in a furze-bush, close to a fir-plantation, near to Bloxworth, 

 Dorset. Meyer mentions a nest taken in Combe Wood. The bird is 

 considered to have bred near Oxford (Rev. A. Mathews}, and has been 

 seen near Gloucester in the month of May. 



The nest has been found in Lancashire (Yarrell}, near Walton 

 Hall (Mr. Charles Waterton}, in Durham (Mr. J. Hancock and 

 Rev. H. B. Tristram} and in Westmoreland, according to Bolton, as 

 quoted by Montagu. 



In the south of Scotland, the Siskin breeds occasionally in Dals- 

 winton Woods, Dumfriesshire (Mr. IV* G. Gibson] ; in Kirkcudbright 

 ( Yarrell} ; within two miles of Glasgow (Mr. R. Gray} ; in several 

 counties of subprovince 28 ; in Perthshire, perhaps regularly ; in 

 Argyleshire ; and, though not numerous as a species, may be con- 

 sidered to nest regularly in most of the northern counties of Scotland. 



FRINGILLA CANNABINA (Linn.}. Linnet. 



Provinces I.-XVIII. 



Subprovinces 135, 37. 



Lat. 50-60. " British " type, or general. 



Throughout the mainland; and also breeds regularly in Orkney 

 (Messrs. Baikie and Heddle and J. H. Dunn}. 



