BIRDS 



bably still occasionally breeds in a few places 

 with regularity. Those places in which coni- 

 ferous trees abound are chiefly favoured by it 

 during its sojourn in Surrey and from these 

 come most of the records of its visits and all 

 the notices of its nest. It may be regarded 

 as a winter visitor which shows no decrease in 

 numbers and as one of the rarest birds which 

 can claim the term of ' resident.' 



77. Parrot - Crossbill. Loxia pityopsittacus, 



Bechstein. 



This northern form of dubious specific 

 identity appears to have been noticed in 

 Surrey upon two occasions (Bucknill, p. 122). 



78. Two-barred Crossbill. Loxia bifasciata 



(Brehm). 



A very rare visitor to the county, from 

 which it has been recorded on some six 

 occasions (Bucinill, pp. 123-125). 



79- Corn-Bunting. Emberiza mi/iaria, Linn. 

 A fairly common resident, pretty generally 

 distributed throughout the county, and al- 

 though not abundant may be found on several 

 of the metropolitan commons. 



80. Yellow Hammer. Emberiza citrinella, 



Linn. 



A very common resident, packing in winter 

 with other finches in large flocks. Often 

 known in Surrey as the ' writing ' or ' scrib- 

 bling-lark.' 



8 1. Cirl Bunting. Emberiza cirlus, Linn. 



A resident, and probably as common in 

 Surrey as in any other part of England. It 

 is rather local in its distribution, but may be 

 found on all the high chalk ranges of hills in 

 fair numbers. It is however only in com- 

 paratively recent years that it has been re- 

 cognized in this county as other than a 

 somewhat rare species. Modern observers 

 have however recorded it on many occasions, 

 and its nest has been repeatedly discovered. 

 It is probably one of those few species which 

 is somewhat increasing in numbers. 



82. Ortolan Bunting. 

 Linn. 



Emberiza hortulana. 



There is a male in the Charterhouse collec- 

 tion which is stated to have been shot at 

 Godalming. It is the only definite record to 

 which Surrey can lay claim, and it is quite 

 possible that it may have escaped from cap- 

 tivity (Bucknill, pp. 130, 131). 



83. Reed - Bunting. Emberiza schaeniclus, 

 Linn. 



A fairly common resident, usually, although 

 not always, frequenting the neighbourhood of 



water during the nesting season. In the 

 winter it joins flocks of other finches and is 

 then in no way local in its distribution. 



84. Snow- Bunting. Plectrophenax nivalis 



(Linn.). 



A rare winter visitor. A few may occa- 

 sionally visit the county in severe seasons, but 

 its local records are rather scanty (Bucknill, 

 P- 132). 



85. Lapland Bunting. Calcarius lapponicus 



(Linn.). 



An extremely rare winter visitor to Surrey, 

 having only been recorded on about half a 

 dozen occasions (Bucknill, p. 133). 



86. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. 



A common, well-known, useful and rapidly 

 increasing resident. 



87. Rose-coloured Starling. Pastor roseus 



(Linn.). 



An extremely rare straggler to the county, 

 in which it has been recorded three or four 

 times only (Bucknill, p. 70). 



88. Chough. Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linn.). 

 A very rare visitor, having been noticed 



four or five times. It may well be that all 

 these recorded instances are merely escaped 

 specimens (Bucknill, p. 70). 



89. Nutcracker. Nucifraga caryocatactes 



(Linn.). 



A rare straggler, twice shot and also twice 

 seen in Surrey, all prior to the year 1847 

 (Bucknill, pp. 71-73). 



90. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.). 



A fairly abundant resident, and although 

 much persecuted by gamekeepers manages, 

 owing to its wariness, to more or less hold its 

 own. 



91. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli). 

 Formerly a common enough resident, but 



has of late years decreased rapidly and is now 

 quite scarce. Its diminution in numbers is 

 mainly due to the increase of game preserva- 

 tion and its consequent destruction by the 

 keepers, who all regard it, with some justifica- 

 tion, as a deadly foe. 



92. Jackdaw. Corvus monedu/a, Linn. 



A common resident even in the suburban 

 districts. In the rural districts it consorts 

 largely with the rook. 



93. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. 

 Formerly, many years ago, a resident, but 



as such has long ceased to exist. Can now 

 only be regarded as a very rare straggler, the 

 last recorded example having occurred in 1895 



209 



