THE BRITISH BULLFINCH. 75 



BREEDING-HABITS. Haunts forests, frequently nesting in conifers. 

 Nest similar to that of British Bullfinch but slightly larger, and 

 in Scandinavia often lined with hairy lichen (Usnea barbata). 

 Eggs. Usually 5 or 6, occasionally only 4, clear greenish-blue 

 in ground-colour when fresh, with few spots and streaks of 

 very dark purplish-brown. Average of 65 eggs, 20.42 X 14.69 mm. 

 Breeding-season. From May to July in Scandinavia ; in June in 

 Finland ; probably two broods in former country at any rate. 

 Incubation. Lasts a fortnight, and is performed by hen alone 

 (Naumann). 



FOOD. Mainly seeds of trees (alder, birch, and conifers), also 

 kernels of berries, plant seeds and buds. 



DISTRIBUTION. Great Britain. Irregular autumn- and whiter- 

 visitor. As it is imported as cage-bird, some records may be due 

 to " escapes," but following are probably genuine : England. 

 Two Yorks. Nov., 1894, and possibly immigrations noted under 

 " Pyrrhula europcea" Nov., 1880, Oct. and Nov., 1884, 1886, 

 1887, and other years (Birds Yorks., I, pp. 194 and 195), one 

 Yorks. coast Dec. 3, 1910. One Yarmouth (Norfolk) Jan. 22, 

 1893. Scotland. One near Longniddry (Haddington) Oct., 1884. 

 Considerable immigration Shetlands Nov., 1905, and some birds 

 March and April, 1905, Oct., 1906, and one Nov., 1902, probably 

 of this form. One or more Fair Isle, Nov., 1905, and a few Nov., 

 1906, and a good many Isle of May, Fair Isle, and Shetlands, as 

 well as south-east Scotland, Oct., Nov., and Dec., 1910. One 

 Shetland, Oct., 1911, one Fair Isle, Oct., 1912, and a few Nov., 

 1913, one Orkney, Oct., 1912, and probably a pair Nov., 1913. 

 One Fair Isle, March 27, and one April 30, 1913, appear to be 

 the only spring records. Others recorded as " Bullfinches " in 

 Shetlands probably of this form. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Scandinavia, Russia, north-east parts of 

 Germany, and west Siberia, also apparently Hungary and Tran- 

 sylvania. In winter spreading southwards and westwards, as far as 

 west and south Europe. Represented by a form (P. p. europcea*) 

 much more nearly allied to P. p. pileata in west and central 

 Europe generally, and by other forms in the Azores, Caucasus, and 

 temperate Asia. 



30. Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata MacGillivray THE BRITISH 

 BULLFINCH. 



PYRRHULA PILEATA MacGillivray, Hist. Brit. Birds, i, p. 407 (1837 

 Great Britain). 



Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata MacGillivray, Hartert, Brit. B., n, p. 130. 

 Pyrrhula europcea Vieillot, Yarrell, n, p. 166 ; Saunders, p. 195. 



* No examples of this form have as yet been detected in the British Isles. 



