HAWFINCH. 141 



hand. It appears at first to betake itself to the higher 

 ground ; but after a time, especially on the approach of 

 snow, it descends to low-lying farms, where it be- 

 comes a familiar tenant of the stack -yard, mixing with 

 Chaffinches and Yellow-hammers." 



The Rev. George Robinson, of Tanderagee, informed 

 Mr. Thompson that on the 25th of March, 1844, he saw 

 a flock of some thousands, unmixed, so far as he ob- 

 served, with any other species, in a beech wood at Elm 

 Park, County Armagh. I have only observed this bird 

 near Templeogue and Mulhuddart in County Dublin. 

 I am sure, however, that it is constantly overlooked, 

 from its resemblance to the Chaffinch. The call-note is 

 said to be a chirp resembling the syllable " tweet," or 

 " tuit," as it appeared to me ; it has also another note 

 sounding something like "chip-a-way;" others think that 

 its call-note sounds like " ziv, zir," with a " zh " of the 

 Greenfinch pattern. 



The nest is placed in lofty trees, and the eggs, four or 

 five in number, are yellowish-white, with dark red spots. 

 The beech-mast is the favourite food of this Arctic bird. 



HAWFINCH. 



Coccothraustes vulgaris ; Le Grosbec ; Kirschnacker. 

 The Grosbeak. 



Bill, pale blue, and very thick ; legs and claws > 

 brown ; head, cheeks, and nape, fawn-colour ; plumage 

 at the base of bill, and reaching to the eye, black ; chin 

 and throat, black ; back, reddish-brown ; wings, black ; 



