SISKIN. 173 



varying greatly in different years. It is chiefly noted in 

 situations where alders grow, those trees being favourable 

 for the production of its favourite food. The nest is said 

 to have been found near Halifax about 1850 (F. G. S. Rawson), 

 Walton Hall (A. G. More, Ibis, 1865, p. 129), and at Haxby 

 near York (Zool. 1850, p. 2676), but it is doubtful if these 

 reported discoveries are to be relied upon, except in the case 

 of the Walton Hall occurrence which was vouched for by 

 Charles Waterton, who gave the particulars to Mr. More. 

 In more recent years, however, one or two pairs have nested 

 near Pickering. 



In the West Riding it was fairly abundant about fifty 

 years ago, much more so than at the present time ; it now 

 only appears intermittently and in small numbers, though 

 it was unusually numerous near Bingley, in Airedale, in the 

 winters of 1902-3 and 1905-6 ; in the north-west it is very 

 scarce and is only occasionally found in the dales. In the 

 East Riding it is not a common visitant, but formerly it 

 was frequent near Pocklington and was often brought in 

 by bird-catchers ; at Flamborough it is only seen on migra- 

 tion in autumn ; it has occurred sparingly at Scamps ton, 

 Market Weighton, and Beverley, and is reported at Spurn 

 on its passage in most seasons. In north Yorkshire it is a 

 fairly regular visitant, and when away from the coast is 

 generally found by the margins of streams, and frequently 

 in company with Redpolls ; it is met with in most of 

 the valleys in the central portion of the North Riding, 

 is somewhat scarce in the north-west, and has been noted 

 at High Force in upper Teesdale. As early as 1808 Graves 

 mentioned it in his list of Cleveland birds, and in 1844 

 John Hogg stated he had seen a few ; it still occurs annually 

 but is uncertain as to numbers. 



As a migrant at the light stations it appears regularly 

 in small parties between Spurn and Easington in autumn, 

 haunting the lanes and drain banks, feeding on seeds of 

 nettles and other plants, and generally so tame as to allow 

 of a near approach. It was abundant in the autumn of 1881, 

 in October, both at Spurn and at the Teesmouth, in flocks 



