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Lofoten Islands, and at Tromso by Liljeborg. In the interior it also occurs here and there 

 during the summer, but only as a straggler in the subalpine and alpine districts, as, for instance, 

 on the Fillefjeld, in the upper part of the Gudbrandsdale, and on the Dovre. In the autumn 

 and spring it is often very numerous in the southern lowlands." Professor Sundevall says that it 

 is only met with during passage in Southern and- Central Sweden, and is never numerous. It is 

 somewhat rare in Finland. Von Wright says that it is sometimes met with near Helsingfors in 

 the spring and autumn and in the winter. He adds that he thinks it possibly breeds on the 

 islands off Uleaborg ; but when I was collecting eggs there I never met with it. 



Mr. Sabaniieff informs me that it is not uncommon in Central Russia ; but he does not appear 

 to have met with it in the Ural. Throughout the whole of North Germany it is an irregular 

 winter visitant, but does not breed there ; and Mr. Benzon informs me that it is only met with in 

 Denmark during winter and on passage, sometimes occurring in tolerably large flocks, but not 

 seen every year. 



In Belgium it only occurs sparingly and at irregular intervals on the spring and autumn 

 passage ; and the same may be said respecting its occurrence in Holland. Mr. Labouchere 

 writes to me, it " seems, however, to avoid the low-lying parts of the country, and the bird- 

 catchers in this province (North Holland) tell me they hardly ever catch one; numbers, 

 however, are annually brought to the Amsterdam cage-bird market from the province of 

 Gelderland, where they are caught near the town of Harderwijk." In the northern depart- 

 ments of France it occurs regularly on passage ; but in the south it appears to be either rare 

 or else overlooked ; for Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye state that they have only once 

 obtained it. Professor Barboza du Bocage includes it in his list of the birds of Portugal with a 

 query; but it is found in Spain, and is, according to Colonel Irby, a rare winter straggler to 

 Andalucia. Mr. Howard Saunders obtained a specimen at Murcia in November, but did not 

 meet with it in Spain on any other occasion. In Savoy it appears to be only an irregular 

 visitant on passage ; and Bailly mentions that some of the bird-catchers look on it as a hybrid 

 between the Goldfinch and the Linnet, and call it Cardinalin bdtard. Salvadori states that it is 

 decidedly rare in Italy, and has only occurred in winter in the provinces of Lombardy, Venetia, 

 and Modena ; and Doderlein says that he has not obtained it in Sicily. Throughout the whole 

 of Southern Europe it appears to be rare. Dr. Fritsch says that it is but seldom met with during 

 the winter in Bohemia ; and I do not find it recorded from Greece or Turkey ; but Professor von 

 Nordmann cites one instance of its occurrence near Odessa, in Southern Russia, in the winter 

 of 1837, and adds that he considers it a very rare bird there. In Asia the Twite appears to be 

 replaced by a tolerably closely allied species (Linota brevirostris, Gould), which differs in being 

 very much paler in general coloration, and the wings, quills, and especially the tail-feathers are 

 much more broadly margined with white. Of this eastern species I have a tolerably large series 

 from Turkestan ; and it occurs also in Persia and in Yarkand, and westward as far at least as 

 Erzeroum, whence it was obtained by Messrs. Dickson and Ross. 



In habits the Twite has much in common with the Lesser Redpoll, except that it frequents 

 the moors and open places in preference to the woods and groves. In the heather-covered 

 localities in Scotland it is common during the summer season, and in the winter collects in small 

 flocks and ranges about the country. It is a rather shy and wild bird, jealous. of intruders, and 



