BIRDS 



Their number varies much, and as a rule they 

 are far more frequent in severe winters and 

 when there is plenty of beech-mast. In 1865 

 Mr. A. E. Atkins of Farnham Court, Slough, 

 observed vast numbers in Stoke Park. When 

 the flock started from their roosting-place they 

 continued streaming by without intermission 

 for thirty-five minutes ! 



58. Linnet. Linota cannabina (Linn.). 

 Very common. 



59. Mealy Redpoll. Linota linaria (Linn.). 



The mealy redpoll is a winter visitor to 

 England, occurring along the east coast south 

 to the south coast, where it is frequent in 

 some years, as was the case in 1895, when 

 many hundreds were caught near Brighton ; 

 yet it is generally rare. We have hardly 

 any record for Buckinghamshire, but it is 

 sure to occur more or less frequently in the 

 county. It is known to visit the Thames 

 valley, and one was taken by Mr. Banfield on 

 the borders of Hertfordshire near Ivinghoe 

 in September 1883. The breeding home of 

 this bird is Scandinavia to 69 north lat., Fin- 

 land, western Russia, and south to the north- 

 eastern corner of East Prussia. 



60. Linota holboslll (C. L. Brehm.). 



(This bird is not mentioned in Mr. Saun- 

 ders' list. It is true that L. bornemanni 

 is mentioned as doubtfully distinct from L. 

 linaria, but L. hornemanni is quite a different 

 form again, inhabiting Greenland during the 

 breeding season. We have adapted the name 

 of the present form to Mr. Saunders' nomen- 

 clature, although we believe that the proper 

 generic name should be Acanthis.) 



The breeding home of L. holbcelli is Nor- 

 way, northern Lapland, and perhaps parts of 

 Sweden. Sharpe (Handbook to the Birds of 

 Great Britain, i. 47) mentions two specimens 

 of this form jn the British Museum which 

 are labelled by John Gould as having been 

 obtained near Norwich in January. We have 

 in the Tring Museum an adult male caught 

 near Aston Clinton, Bucks, on December 14, 

 1895. There can be no doubt that it 

 belongs to L. holbaelli, but the red on the 

 crown is abnormally pale. The wings are 80 

 mm. long, the tail 62. There is much more 

 red on the rump than in L. linaria. 



6 1. Lesser Redpoll. Linota rufescens(V \eil\ot). 

 Frequent in most winters, though varying 

 in numbers. We do not know of an authen- 

 ticated nest in the county, but we have no 

 doubt that it has occasionally bred there. 

 W. Rothschild has several times seen it on 



the ' flats,' near Champneys Park, close to 

 the borders of Bucks, in summer, and is con- 

 fident that it nested there, and Crossman 

 records its breeding on Berkhamsted Common, 

 close to Bucks. 



62. Twite. Linota flavirostr'n (Linn.). 



A somewhat scarce winter visitor, though 

 doubtless often unnoticed. We have it from 

 the neighbourhood of Aston Clinton and 

 Halton. Mr. Alfred Heneage Cocks informs 

 us that three specimens were caught near 

 Skirmett in a pheasant trap in the middle of 

 February 1902. 



63. Bullfinch. Pyrrhula europ<ea, Vieillot. 

 Very common throughout the year. 



64. Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra. Linn. 



A frequent winter visitor, and though rare 

 or even absent in some years very numerous 

 in others. As is well known, this bird is 

 somewhat erratic in its breeding places, and 

 it has probably also bred, though exception- 

 ally, in the county. In the old manuscript 

 at Dinton Hall is the figure of a specimen of 

 ' ye Crossbill or Shellapple ' which was shot 

 in 1782. The author adds the following in- 

 teresting notes : ' Is an inconstant visitor of 

 this island and breeds in ye pine-forests of 

 Germany and Switzerland ; it feeds on ye 

 cones of those trees. It is a fact that it 

 changes ye shades of its colour in different 

 seasons of ye year from deep red to yellow 

 and ye females which are greenish alter to 

 different varieties of the same colour. Ten 

 of these birds were shot and several others 

 seen by ye Rev nd . W. Goodall in ye Wilder- 

 ness of Dinton Hall August 8" 1 1791. They 

 had been observed by the servants some weeks, 

 tho' they mistook them for bull finches. Q yr 

 had they bred there ? As some of ye males 

 had not then gained thefr full plumage and 

 one of ye females had not as yet a single 

 yellow feather.' 



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

 Locally, Bunting, Bunting-Lark or Common 

 Bunting. 



Common enough in the arable districts, but 

 absent from wooded hills and parks. It is very 

 seldom seen here in winter. 



66. Yellow Bunting. Emberiza citrinella, 



Linn. 



Better known as the yellow hammer. A 

 common resident. 



67. Cirl Bunting. Emberiza cirlus, Linn. 



This bunting is a regular breeder in the 

 Chiltern Hills, though being far from com- 



137 18 



