134 CEOSSBILL. 



apple, and make way to the kernells; they were of the 

 bignesse of a Bullfinch, the henne right like the henne of the 

 Bullfinch in coulour; the cocke a very glorious bird, in a 

 manner al redde or yellowe on the brest, backe, and head. 

 The oldest man living never heard or reade of any such like 

 bird; and the thinge most to bee noted was, that it seemed 

 they came out of some country not inhabited; for that they 

 at the first would abide shooting at them, either with pellet, 

 bowe, or other engine, and not remove till they were stricken 

 clowne; moreover, they would abide the throweing at them, 

 in so much as diverse were stricken downe and killed with 

 often throweing at them with apples. They came when 

 the apples were rype, and went away when the apples were 

 cleane fallen. They were very good meate.' 



So also in Childrey's 'Britannia Baconica:' 'In Queen 

 Elizabeth's time a flock of birds came into Cornwall, about 

 harvest, a little bigger than a Sparrow, which had bils 

 thwarted crosswise at the end, and with these they would 

 cut an apple in two at one snap, eating onely the kernels; 

 and they made a great spoil among the apples.' 



In Ireland they have been often noticed. 



In Scotland they were abundant in 1821, and since then 

 have been repeatedly observed: some remain in that part of 

 the island throughout the year. 



In Orkney great numbers of this bird were observed during 

 winter a few years ago. They were also very abundant in 

 several of the islands in 1806 and 1807. 



In Yorkshire, in the neighbourhood of Doncaster, in the 

 year 1836, they were very plentiful in the plantations near 

 Sandal, and no doubt all around. I wrote an account of 

 them in the 'Magazine of Natural History,' volume ix., p. 

 413; also near Knaresborough in 1846, as likewise in numbers 

 about the year 1838, so also in 1829. They have been met 

 with near Hebden-Bridge, Halifax, Barnsley, Sheffield, Killing- 

 beck, Leeds, and Boynton, near Bridlington. 



In Bramham Park several nests were found in the year 

 1840, and at Boynton, Arthur Strickland, Esq., found one 

 himself; also near Swinhope, in Lincolnshire, the Eev. R. P. 

 Alington has known them in former years tolerably common, 

 feeding on the cones of the larch firs. 



This species also builds in the fir plantations about 

 Dodington, Kent, of which Mr. Chaffey of that place is my 

 informant; and it has also been known to do so near Part- 



