26 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xm 



Two of these, however, are undoubtedly of the Continental 

 race, and I think there can be Httle doubt that they occur 

 annually in Norfolk. B. B. Riviere. 



LARGE FLOCKS OF HAWFINCHES IN SURREY 

 AND KENT. 



On March 21st, 1919, 1 observed two large flocks of Hawfinches 

 {Coccothraustes c. coccothraustes) on Holrnwood Common, 

 Surrey, which I estimated to number approximateh^ 150 and 

 100 birds respectively. I have not previously noticed the 

 Hawfinch to be unusuall}" abundant in the locality named, 

 or in the surrounding district, and possibly these large gather- 

 ings may indicate some immigratory movement. 



The birds were unusually wary, and they appeared to be 

 feeding upon seeds of the holly, there being large numbers of 

 these trees on that part of the common frequented by the 

 flocks. 



The Hawfinches were still present in considerable numbers 

 on March 27th, but most of them appeared to have left by 

 April 20th, on which date my friend Mr. H. H. Earwig tells 

 me he only observed about twenty birds. 



Mr. Earwig also informs me that on March 29th, 1919, he 

 noticed a flock of 80 to too Hawfinches on Tunbridge Wells 

 Common, Howard Bentham. 



SERINS IN SUSSEX. 

 There are in the Tring Museum a pair of Serins purchased 

 from Mr. A. F. Brazenor, taxidermist, of Brighton, who stated 

 that they were netted by a bird-catcher near Rottingdean, 

 Sussex, on December 6th, 1918. The bird-catcher said that 

 he saw several more at the time. Serinus c. germanicus Laub- 

 mann 1913, inhabiting Germany and perhaps also Holland 

 and rorthern France, seems to be more greenish or less bright 

 yellow than the typical Mediterranean S. c. serinus. So far, 

 however, only a small series of this form has been compared, 

 but if these distinctions are found to hold good, then the two 

 birds above recorded undoubtedly belong to this duller form 

 and not to S. c. serinus. E. Hartert. 



WOOD-LARK IN NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE. 

 On March 31st, 1919, I saw and heard a male Wood-Lark 

 {Lullida arbor ea) near Frodingham, in north-west Lincolnshire. 

 I made every effort to ascertain if the bird was nesting, but 

 had to conclude that it was merely a passing visitor, as I 

 could not find it on several occasions afterwards. It is a very 

 scarce bird in Lincolnshire. W. S. Medlicott. 



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