BIRDS 



only a few brown tail-feathers) from Derby 

 in 1884, and about 1900 another was ob- 

 tained near Matlock (Derbyshire Naturalists' 

 Quarterly). 



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

 A rare winter visitor. An undoubted 



specimen was killed at Draycott about 1873 

 (J. R. Towle in Birds of Derbyshire, p. 90). 



65. Lesser Redpoll. Linota rufescens (Vieillot). 

 Locally, Lesser Red-headed Linnet (Gisborne). 



This characteristic little bird breeds rather 

 locally but in fair numbers throughout the 

 county. It is most common in the valleys 

 of the upper Derwent and Ashop and the 

 lower Dove. At Rolleston Hall there is a 

 creamy white specimen from the old Burton 

 Museum. 



66. Twite. Linota flavirostris (Linn.). 

 Locally, Mountain Linnet (N. Wood). 



Breeds in the moorlands of the High Peak, 

 where it was discovered by Francis Jessop as 

 recorded by Willughby. Several nests are 

 said to have been found in the south of the 

 county by Neville Wood and others, but not 

 recently. 



67. Bullfinch. Pyrrhula europesa, Vieillot. 

 Locally, Hedge Coalhood (N. Wood), Bully. 



Still fairly common in most parts of the 

 county except on the.high uplands and moors, 

 and nesting by preference in gardens where a 

 box tree is a very favourite site for the nest. 



[Pine - Grosbeak. Pyrrhula enucleator 

 (Linn.). 



Locally, Pine Thickbill (N. Wood). 



Two specimens in the Derby Museum, 

 which originally formed part of the Jebb 

 collection, are said to have been locally ob- 

 tained, but particulars are by this time un- 

 attainable. Two birds are stated to have 

 been seen among spruce firs at Kings Stern- 

 dale near Buxton (Field, Feb. 4, 1860), but 

 were probably crossbills.] 



68. Crossbill. Laxia curvirostra, Linn. 



An irregular winter visitor which has been 

 observed on a good many occasions. Possibly 

 they may have bred as they were still plenti- 

 ful near Matlock as late as March, 1889. 

 The first irruption of which we have any 

 record took place about 1768 near Derby : 

 large flocks were seen at DufHeld in 1821 

 and 1828. N. Wood records a flock at 

 Foston in 1836 and E. Brown at Burton 

 about 1838 ; and in Matlock and the neigh- 



bourhood they were common in the early 

 spring of 1889. 



69. Two-barred Crossbill. Loxia bifasciata 



(C. L. Brehm). 



One shot at Mickleover November 21, 

 1845, ln company with fieldfares (R. J. 

 Bell, Zool. p. 1247). 



70. Corn-Bunting. Emberiza miliaria, Linn. 

 Locally, Bunting Lark (Gisborne). 



The distribution of this bird in Derbyshire 

 is rather curious. It is found in small num- 

 bers in the valley of the Trent, lower Dove 

 and Derwent, but cannot be considered really 

 common. A few pairs may be found scat- 

 tered over the central and north-eastern 

 divisions. It is however on the high ground 

 in the north-west where the fields are divided 

 by stone dykes, such as the country between 

 Tideswell and Brough, that the corn-bunting 

 is most numerous. Here the monotonous 

 song can be almost continually heard in the 

 spring. 



71. Yellow Bunting. Emberiza citrinella, 



Linn. 



Locally, Goldfinch. 



Commonly distributed. Varieties with 

 white head and neck and also entirely of a 

 pale buff colour have been recorded (Birds of 

 Derbyshire, p. 95). 



72. Cirl Bunting. Emberiza cirlus, Linn. 

 Few notices of the occurrence of this 



species in Derbyshire exist. A. O. Worth- 

 ington says it has been ' taken within the 

 last few years in Bladon Wood' (Wild Flowers, 

 etc., of Repton, 1881). A. S. Hutchinson has 

 seen it once or twice near Chellaston (Zool. 

 xvi. 125), and E. A. Brown says it has been 

 recorded near Burton (McAldowie, Birds of 

 Staffordshire, p. 75). 



73. Reed - Bunting. Emberiza schoeniclus, 



Linn. 



Locally, Reed Sparrow. 



Common in low-lying districts such as the 

 Trent valley and the lower parts of the basins 

 of its tributaries : the high ground in the 

 north-west is naturally unsuitable to its habits. 



74. Snow-Bunting. Plectrophenax nivalis 



(Linn.). 



Locally, Snowy Longspur (N. Wood). 

 A somewhat irregular winter visitor, occur- 

 ring most frequently in the Trent valley and 

 on the moorlands in the north. The earliest 

 record is that of Mr. Gisborne who shot one 

 on December n, 1767, near Staveley. For 



