532 FRINGILLULE. 



even in very considerable numbers in many different lo- 

 calities, and to be resident there the whole of the year. 



One of the best of the recently published accounts of 

 this bird is in the first volume of the Magazine of Zoology 

 and Botany. Mr. Henry Doubleday, the author of the 

 paper, residing at Epping, within a short distance of Epping 

 Forest, one of the localities in which these birds abound, 

 says, " I have for some years past given close attention to 

 their habits, and I can safely assert, that they are perma- 

 nent residents, nor can I perceive any addition to their num- 

 bers by the arrival of foreigners at any period of the year. 



" Their extreme shyness has no doubt contributed to 

 keep us in ignorance of their habits and economy ; in this 

 trait they exceed any land bird with which I am ac- 

 quainted, and in open places it is almost impossible to ap- 

 proach them within gun-shot. Their principal food here 

 appears to be the seed of the Hornbeam, (Carpinus l>etulus, 

 Linn.) which is the prevailing species of tree in Epping 

 Forest ; they also feed on the kernels of the haws, plum 

 stones, laurel berries, &c., and in summer make great havoc 

 amongst green peas in gardens in the vicinity of the forest." 



" About the middle of April they pair, and in a week or 

 two commence nidification. The situation of the nest is 

 various ; but is most commonly placed in an old scrubby 

 whitethorn bush, often in a very exposed situation ; they 

 also frequently build on the horizontal arms of large oaks, 

 the heads of pollard hornbeams, in hollies, and occasionally 

 in fir trees in plantations ; the elevation at which the nest 

 is placed varying from five to twenty-five or thirty feet. 

 The most correct description of the nest which I have seen 

 is in Latham's Synopsis. It is there said to be composed 

 of the dead twigs of oak, honeysuckle, &c. intermixed 

 with pieces of grey lichen ; the quantity of this last ma- 



