202 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA, Linnseus. 

 BRAMBLIlSra. 



A regular winter visitant, arriving at times in 

 immense flocks, but their numbers as well as the time 

 of their appearance and departure, depending much 

 upon the severity of the season. In the cold winters 

 of 1853 and in 1854-55, they were extremely numerous, 

 a flock being observed in the latter year as early as the 

 12th of October; and in the still more severe season of 

 1859-60 and 1861, very large numbers were met with 

 throughout the county, as usual consorting chiefly with 

 the chaffinches, and frequenting stack-yards and farm 

 premises during the frost and snow. Several specimens, 

 netted towards the end of February, had already acquired 

 the black head, peculiar to the breeding plumage, and 

 a few stragglers still remained as late as the 30th of 

 March. The general time of their leaving, however, 

 appears to be about the middle of March, although 

 their appearance as late as the 27th of April is re- 

 corded by Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear. Mr. Hunt, 

 referring to the numbers that have at times occurred 

 in this county, states, " that one individual, in the winter 

 of 1825 caught seventeen dozen and a half in the course 

 of one forenoon, and in the following year a great 

 number were taken at Cringleford." In the very sharp 

 winter of 1863-64, scarcely any were netted before 

 Christmas, but in the following February, large flocks 

 of more than a hundred together were seen at Cossey, 

 and many beautiful specimens were taken by the bird- 

 catchers. The late long and severe winter (1864-5) 

 has been also remarkable for the abundance of this 

 sprightly and attractive species, whose southward mi- 



