252 BRITISH BIRDS. 



The Mountain Finch is a native of northern 

 climates, whence it spreads into various parts of 

 Europe : it arrives in this country the latter end of 

 summer, and is most common in the mountainous 

 parts of our island.* Vast flocks of them some- 

 times come together; they fly very close, and on 

 that account great numbers are frequently killed 

 at one shot. In France they are said to appear 

 sometimes in such immense numbers, that the 

 ground where they have roosted, has been covered 

 with their dung for a considerable space; in one 

 year they were so numerous, that more than six 

 hundred dozen were killed each night during the 

 greater part of the winter. They build their nests 

 in fir trees, at a considerable height; it is com- 

 posed of long moss, lined with hair, wool, and 

 feathers; the female lays four or five eggs, white, 

 spotted with yellow. Its song is only a disagree- 

 able kind of chirping. It feeds on various kinds 

 of seeds, and is said to be particularly fond of 

 beech mast. 



* We have seen them on the Cumberland Hills in the middle of 

 August. 



