BIRDS 



those districts where fruit is cultivated to any 

 extent. 



70. Crossbill. Loxia curuirostra, Linn. 

 This species is a pretty frequent visitor to 



several places in Hertfordshire, more especially 

 on the north-western border. At Tring Park 

 and in the neighbourhood of Berkhamsted it 

 appears every winter, staying at times well 

 into the summer. In fact there are good 

 grounds for believing that it has nested at 

 both places, although the actual nest has 

 never been discovered, the Hon. W. Roths- 

 child having seen a young bird at the former 

 place in June which could barely fly, while 

 near Berkhamsted I have seen the birds paired 

 in March and April during two different years. 

 Yarrell also mentions Hertfordshire as a county 

 in which the nest has been found. 



71. Two-barred Crossbill. Loxia bifasciata 



(Brehm). 



The only example of this species which 

 has been obtained in Hertfordshire was shot 

 in a little larch wood on Tharbies Farm near 

 Sawbridgeworth on January nth, 1890. It 

 was in the plumage of a female, but the sex 

 was unfortunately not ascertained by dissec- 

 tion. Mr. H. S. Rivers, who shot it, first 

 recorded it in the Zoologist for 1893 as L. 

 leucoptera ; but Mr. E. Hartert had an oppor- 

 tunity of examining it, and came to the con- 

 clusion that it belonged to the European 

 species. 



72. Corn-Bunting. Emberiza miliaria, Linn. 

 This species is a common resident, especi- 

 ally in the more open parts of the county. 



73. Yellow Hammer. Emberiza citrinella, 



Linn. 



This is also a common resident, whose 

 numbers are however increased by immi- 

 grants during the winter. 



74. Cirl Bunting. Emberiza cirlus, Linn. 



This is rather a rare nesting species with 

 us, although I think it must be sparsely distri- 

 buted along the hills to the north of the 

 county. In 1881 one was shot near Royston 

 on February 1 4th while in company with 

 some yellow hammers. The neighbourhood 

 of Tring seems to be favoured by it most, 

 and even there it is far from common. My 

 acquaintance with it in Hertfordshire is 

 decidedly limited, being confined to two 

 examples one seen at Hastoe near Tring on 

 August 2ist, 1898 ; while during the present 

 year I saw a male at Aldbury on several 

 occasions which probably had a nest near. 



75. Rustic Bunting. Emberiza rustica, Pallas. 

 The late Lord Lilford had in his collection 



a young male of this species which was sent 

 to him in the flesh, having been taken by a 

 birdcatcher at Elstree reservoir on November 

 i gth, 1882. This specimen was only the 

 third that had been obtained in the British 

 Isles. 



76. Reed-Bunting. Emberiza schasniclus, Linn. 

 The reed-bunting is fairly plentiful at 



Tring and other suitable localities. It is 

 however inclined to be rather local. 



77. Snow - Bunting. Plectrophenax niva/is 



(Linn.). 



This bird has occurred on several occasions 

 in the winter. The first record I have of it 

 was in February, 1881, when a specimen 

 which passed into the hands of Mr. W. Hill 

 was shot near Hitchin. About the same time 

 several were seen near Royston, two of which 

 were caught with some larks. On January 

 24th, 1883, one was obtained on Harpenden 

 Common; while on December 27th, 1886, 

 and again on the 2gth, a flock was seen at 

 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead. On December 

 6th, 1893, a specimen was picked up under 

 the telegraph wires on Royston Heath, and in 

 January following one was shot at Sandon. 



78. Starling. Sturnus vu/garis, Linn. 



This is a common resident, the numbers 

 of which are greatly increased by migrants 

 during part of the year. In the autumn it 

 may be seen in vast flocks wending its way 

 to and from some common roosting-place. 

 During the last two years I have seen a 

 starling at Berkhamsted which had a white 

 tail, but which was otherwise of a normal 

 colour. 



79. Chough. Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linn.). 

 It is the unexpected which always happens ; 



such is certainly the case in this species being 

 seen in Hertfordshire. In the Herts Advertiser 

 for June 2ist, 1884, appeared a letter from a 

 Mr. Henry Cross of Harpenden, in which he 

 gave a description of a bird of this kind which 

 he had seen on the eastern side of the Midland 

 Railway near Beech Bottom Wood, St. Albans, 

 on May 27th previous. Much correspond- 

 ence appeared in the papers about it, but no 

 evidence was forthcoming that a chough had 

 escaped from confinement at that time, al- 

 though that would seem to be the most likely 

 solution of such an occurrence. 



80. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.). 



The jay is a plentiful species in the wooded 

 districts of the county, although it is pretty 



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