5 
Captain Shelley only includes it on the strength of one specimen received from near Alexandria 
in 1859 by Dr. Cavafy; but it is said to be resident in North-west Africa. Loche speaks of it as 
occurring in all three. provinces of Algeria; Mr. Taczanowski met with it in the province of 
Constantine ; and Mr. O. Salvin observed a pair in May in the tamarisk trees near the spring of 
Ain Djendeli. Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt-Drake saw one which had been shot at Tetuan; and Colonel 
Irby says (/. c.) that, according to Favier, it is very rare near Tangier, he only having met with 
two, one in 1836 and the other in 1849. 
To the eastward it occurs, as above stated, as far as Japan. De Filippi observed it in 
Ghilan, between Kasvin and Resht; but Messrs. Blanford and St. John did not meet with it in 
Persia. It does not occur in India, but is found throughout Siberia, except in the northern 
portion. Von Middendorff observed it at Irkutsk in March; and both Dr. Radde and Von 
Schrenck obtained it on the Amoor; the latter observed it at the Nikolaieffsk Post in October, 
and near the mouth of the Ussuri in September. Mr. Maximowicz met with it at Dshai on the 
3rd (15th) of May; and Dr. Radde obtained specimens at the Tarei-nor in May and in September. 
Dr. Dybowski says that it is rare in Eastern Siberia during the summer; but he does not appear 
to have found its nest. In Mongolia it occurs, Pere David says, in considerable numbers during 
the two seasons of passage ; and Mr. Swinhoe speaks of it as being found in China from Shanghai 
to Pekin, and westwards to the Ichang gorge. Messrs. Temminck and Schlegel obtained it from 
Japan, but give no information as to its range there. 
Though heavily and somewhat clumsily built, the Hawfinch is by no means either stupid or 
slow in its movements, but is one of the most wary and shy of our birds. It avoids the presence 
of man, and will either hide in the dense foliage should any one approach, or else take flight ; and 
as it usually selects the top of a tree for its perch, it cannot well be approached without seeing the 
intruder. Its short legs make its progress on the ground rather heavy; and it is, comparatively 
speaking, seldom seen there; but amongst the branches it hops about with ease, if not with 
elegance, and before taking flight will hop quickly from twig to twig until it reaches the top of 
the tree and call its comrades. It may frequently be seen sitting on the summit of a tree ina 
very erect position, especially the male bird, in the spring of the year, when it utters its call-note 
or song. Its call-note is a prolonged zee, sharply and clearly uttered, either when on the wing 
or immediately before taking flight; for when sitting, and especially when feeding, it is a very 
silent bird; and this note is uttered quickly several times in succession when used as an alarm- 
note. Its song, if such it can be called, is neither melodious nor pleasant, and is merely a 
repetition and endless variation of its usual call-note and its other usual note, a sharp call 
resembling the word knipps, uttered with modulations. It commences to sing early in the year ; 
and as soon as the young are hatched its song is no longer heard. 
Its flight, though laboured and effected by a very rapid motion of the wings, is swift and 
direct; and it appears able to traverse long distances on the wing. 
It feeds chiefly on the kernels of hard-shelled seeds or fruits, such as the kernel of the 
cherry-stone, of which it is especially fond, beech-nuts, hawthorn-berries, sloes, and will often 
feed on the seeds of conifers, and visit the gardens in search of seeds of various kinds. During 
the cherry-season it will, unless checked, do much damage amongst the cherry-trees, and a few 
birds will soon clear off a considerable number of cherries. ‘The fleshy part is cast aside and the 
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