FRINGILLINA. 175 
THE SISKIN. 
CaRDUELIS spPfNus (Linnzus). 
The Siskin, or Aberdevine as it has been called since the time of 
Albin, is principally known in England and Wales during winter 
and on its migrations to and from its more northern breeding- 
quarters ; but there is evidence that,it has bred, exceptionally, in 
Surrey, Sussex, and perhaps some other southern counties. In the 
north, where fir-woods are more abundant, it has nested in the 
county of Durham ; while a few pairs breed regularly in some parts 
of Cumberland, and in the Solway district in Scotland. From 
Perthshire northward, it nests freely in some of the old fir-wood 
districts, and suitable localities up to Caithness ; in East Sutherland 
it is said to be resident, and it breeds in Ross-shire; but on the 
western side generally it is only a somewhat rare winter-visitor, and 
has not yet been traced to the Outer Hebrides nor the Orkneys, 
although it occurs on both passages in the Shetlands. In Ireland 
it nests in many counties where pine-trees flourish, especially in 
Wicklow and Waterford ; while in winter it is tolerably common. 
In Northern Europe the breeding-limit of the Siskin coincides 
with that of conifer-growth ; and southward, the bird nests in some 
of the fir-woods of Germany, South Holland, France, Switzerland, 
Northern Italy as far as the vicinity of Florence, Austria, and 
