100 FKING1LLID.E. 



Mr. Doubleday says in continuation, that the young are 

 hatched about the third week in May, and, so soon as they 

 are able to provide for themselves, unite with their parents, 

 in flocks, varying in number from fifteen or twenty to one or 

 even two hundred. In this manner they remain through the 

 winter, feeding on the hornbeam-seeds which have fallen to 

 the ground, and only separating at the approach of the breed- 

 ing-season. The male has no song worth notice ; but may 

 be heard in warm days in March, when several are sitting 

 together on a tree, uttering a few notes in a soft tone, 

 bearing some resemblance to those of the Bullfinch ; and 

 Montagu is a witness to its singing pleasantly in winter. 



Mr. Doubleday further remarks, that though so common 

 in his neighbourhood, the Hawfinch is but little known, 

 which fact is to be attributed to its shy and retired habits. 

 It seemed to him to be rapidly increasing in numbers, and 

 the anticipation, thus expressed, has been and is being ful- 

 filled. The foregoing observations leave little to be added on 

 the habits of this bird. Even while compiling the present 

 account of it, the Editor has received overwhelming proofs*, 

 in addition to the evidence to the same effect published since 

 Doubleday 's paper appeared, of the constant spreading and 

 ever increasing abundance of the Hawfinch. No attempt to 

 account for this can be made. The bird, however, still re- 

 mains a local species, and though it has become so plentiful 

 in many parts of the country, there are yet wide districts in 

 which it is absolutely unknown. The partiality, observed 

 by Doubleday, for the hawthorn as a site for its nest seems 

 to be pretty well maintained, but the bird has learnt to build 

 also in almost any kind of tree or shrub, from the cedar of 

 Lebanon to the ivy on a wall, as well as to use almost any 

 kind of materials for its purpose the structure being 

 always a platform of twigs, with a shallow cup, often neatly 

 wrought, in its centre. Still with this ever increasing 

 abundance of the species and extension of its range its shy 



* It would be quite impossible here to give a tithe of the very full details with 

 which be has been favoured by many correspondents to whom he is greatly in- 

 debted for their information. 



