PASSERIFORMES 



171 



of Paterson Inlet, but Mr Traill tells me (1916) that " none have been 

 reported for years." 



Mr T. H. Potts states that where lichens are scarce, chaffinches 

 frequently used fragments of paper in nest-building. 



Bramble Finch ; Brambling (Fringilla montifringilld) 



The Canterbury Society liberated two in 1868, and six (?) in 1871. 

 But the annual report for 1873 speaks of them as having been im- 

 ported in considerable numbers. 



The Wellington Society liberated three in 1874, an ^ one m I ^77, 

 and reported them in 1885 as having been seen. 



Seebohm (Siberia in Europe, p. 120) describes this as a migratory 

 species, which winters in the British Isles but mostly in Central and 

 Southern Europe, occasionally crossing the Mediterranean. It breeds 

 throughout the northern portions of the palaearctic region, at or near 

 the limit of forest growth. 



Linnet (Linota cannabind) 



The Nelson Society introduced seven linnets in 1862, but have 

 lost all record of them. 



The Otago Society liberated two in 1867, and 18 in 1868. 



The Canterbury Society liberated 20 in 1867, three in 1868, 

 and a number (not specified) in 1869. In 1875 another consignment 

 was introduced by Mr R. Bills, and these were either sold and dis- 

 tributed, or liberated in the Christchurch Gardens. 



The Auckland Society liberated eight in 1865, 14 in 1867, 

 20 in 1868, and a number (not specified) in 1869. Five years 

 later the annual report states that "they are thoroughly established 

 in Auckland Province." I cannot understand this statement, unless 

 the report refers to the greenfinch, a bird which is sometimes called 

 the green linnet. 



The Wellington Society liberated 22 birds some time before 

 1882, for it was reported in that year that two were seen in the 

 Porirua district. 



The failure of this species to establish itself in New Zealand is 

 one of the most inexplicable problems in animal naturalisation. Some 

 allied species have become very common, but the linnet disappeared 

 soon after liberation. 



The bird is a partial migrant in Britain, and I have suggested 

 that this may be one explanation. This, however, is discounted by 

 the fact that those .introduced were brought to the country at so 

 many different times, and were probably obtained from very different 

 localities. 



