on the Nesting oj the Hawfinch.



29



comparatively rare in others : is generally observed about autumn

when haws, cherries and stone fruit are in season. Bred in

Stanmer Park during the summer of 1847, The young after they

had left the nest frequented the neighbourhood of the gardener’s

cottage and were all caught by his children in brick traps baited

with peas.” Old and young generally seem to stay in their nest¬

ing locality until well on in the winter but, as soon as the food

supply becomes scanty, away they go, wandering about the

country with others of their race in scattered bands and next

year selecting quite a different locality for a summer residence,

possibly in deference to the well known principle that one should

never repeat a success. One of these flocks, which foraged in

the neighbourhood of Paignton during the latter part of last

winter, numbered some thirty individuals and was by far the

largest gathering of this species that I have ever heard of in this

county.


It is unnecessary to give any technical details of plumage

because these may be found in any of the bird-books, but one

point may be noted in respect of which the bird-books (or some

of them) are misleading. I refer to the colour of the beak in

the breeding season, which is stated by Howard Saunders to be

“leaden blue at the base, dull black at the tip; in winter pale

horn-colour.” Morris says: “ Bluish in summer, the tip dusky.”

My attention was called to this matter by an exhibitor who came

to have a look at my birds one summer. Such is the popularity

of Teignmouth as a watering-place that every season a good

many aviculturists find themselves in my neighbourhood and

frequently give me a look up. (One season I had forty-five

visitors besides some who called in my absence). Some of these

are members of our Society, some are artizans, and others do

not favour me with their names ; they come from the unknown

and pass away into the unknown. This particular aviculturist

bowed himself in and, after introducing his wife, flattered me

with the information that he had seen my name in an advertise¬

ment. As a general rule my visitors are not specialists and do

not cross-examine me very severely, so that I geneially come

through the ordeal without exposing my ignorance too palpably.

But this time I was in the hands of a specialist in British birds



