64 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



trill, sometimes uttered from perch, but more often in flight, 

 which is wavering in character and usually at a height of thirty 

 feet or more. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Tends to breed sociably, but many isolated 

 nests may also be found. Sites variable : sometimes high hedges 

 or isolated bushes, outskirts of plantations, young conifers, but 

 also at considerable heights in forest- trees, and exceptionally 

 young heather or bracken. Nest. Recognizable by foundation 

 of twigs and roughly-furnished external appearance due to ends 

 of coarse bents and stalks ; lined white down, sometimes hair and 

 feathers. Eggs. 4-5, occasionally 6, with same characteristics 

 as Mealy Redpoll. Occasionally found without markings. Average 

 of 100 eggs, 15.97 X 12.2 mm. Breeding-season. Irregular ; a 

 few April, but usually latter half May or early June, and in Alps 

 from end April onwards. Apparently one brood as a rule 

 but sometimes two. Incubation. Under a fortnight (11 days, 

 A. Taylor). 



FOOD. Chiefly seeds (alder ; birch, bullrush, and . many small 

 plants), but also minute insects and their eggs. 



DISTRIBUTION. England and Wales. Resident. Breeds most 

 counties, but locally and especially so in southern England, and 

 Wales, and very sparingly in south-west England, while in extreme 

 south-west it is rare even in autumn and winter, when it becomes 

 more generally distributed elsewhere. Scotland. Resident. More 

 generally distributed in wooded districts than in England, but 

 uncommon in north-west, and appears not to breed Caithness. 

 Breeds sparingly I. Hebrides, and has nested Barra (0. Hebrides). 

 Said to nest Orkneys, but rare at any time Shetlands. Ireland. 

 Resident. Generally distributed, even in the bare west. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. Flocks said to arrive Yorks. coast 

 in mid-Sept, and Oct., and it becomes more generally common 

 east coast in winter. Some at least of our breeding birds appear 

 to emigrate in whiter. No migration noted in Ireland. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Alpine regions, probably also Carpa- 

 thians and Balkans, and possibly the Caucasus. 



CARDUELIS HORNEMANNI 



24. Carduelis hornemanni hornemanni (Holb.) HORNE- 

 MANN'S REDPOLL. 



LINOTA HORNEMANNI Holboll, Naturh. Tidskr., iv, p. 398 (1843 



Greenland). 



L. hornemanni, Yarrell, n, pp. 141 and 144 (in text) ; Saunders, p. 189 



(in text). 



