92 BRITISH BIRDS. 



FRINGILLA SPINUS. 

 SISKIN. 



(PLATE 12.) 



Carduelis ligurinus, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 65 (1760). 



Fringilla spinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 322 (1766) ; et auctorum plurimorum 



Gmelin, Scopoli, Latham, Temminck, (Bonaparte), (Deyland $ Gerbe), (Dresser), 



(Newton), &c. 



Emberiza spinus (Linn."), Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 145 (1769). 

 Fringilla fasciata, Mull. Natursyst. Suppl. p. 165 (1776). 

 Linaria spinus (Linn.), Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. fyc. Brit. Mus. p. 15 (1816). 

 Spinus viridis, Koch, Syst. baier. Zool. i. p. 235 (1816). 

 Serinus spinus (Linn.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 555. 

 Passer spinus (Linn.), Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. ii. p. 16 (1826). 

 Carduelis spinus (Linn.), Steph. Skald's Gen. Zool. xiv. i. p. 33 (1826). 

 Chrysomitris spinus (Linn.), Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 322. 



Fringilla (Acanthis) spinus (Linn), Keys. u. Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. xli (1840). 

 Spinus vulgaris, Goebel, Journ. Orn. 1873, p. 15. 

 Chrysomitris dybowskii, Taczanowsky, Journ. Orn. 1876, p. 199. 



In England and Wales the Siskin is principally known as a winter 

 visitor, and is at that season more or less commonly distributed throughout 

 the country, becoming rarer in the extreme south-west. To the Channel 

 Islands it is only known as a rare straggler. Its occurrence in summer 

 in England is very exceptional; and the instances of its remaining in 

 this country to breed are few, although it is quite possible more remain 

 than is generally supposed. From the evidence to be gleaned upon the 

 subject, there can be little doubt that the Siskin has bred in the counties 

 of Kent, Surrey, Dorset, Sussex, Middlesex, Oxford, Gloucester, Denbigh, 

 Bedford, Derby, York, Westmoreland, and' Durham. In Scotland the 

 bird is much commoner than in England, and breeds regularly in many 

 localities, according to Mr. Gray chiefly in the eastern counties. In the 

 west of Scotland, with the exception of Argyleshire and Sutherlandshire 

 (in which latter county it is said to be a resident), it is known as a winter 

 visitor. It has not yet been met with in Orkney, but is a scarce winter 

 visitor to Shetland. In Ireland it is best known as a winter visitor to 

 most suitable districts. Although Thompson suggested that the bird may 

 occasionally breed in Wicklow and other localities in the north, it was not 

 until 1871 that a nest was found in that county. An account of this was 

 contributed to the ' Zoologist'' for 1874 (p. 3915) by Mr. Barrington, in 

 whose grounds it was discovered. A second nest was also found by this 

 gentleman in the same county, and particulars concerning it furnished to 

 the same periodical for 1876 (p. 4957) . 



