PASSERIFORMES 



175 



on the seeds of pine-trees (Pinus pinaster), which it picks out of the 

 fir-cones. It certainly also feeds on the seeds of many weeds, and 

 probably spreads some of these. 



Mr T. A. Philpott states that the species is much less common in 

 Southland now (1918) than it was 25 years ago. He attributes this as 

 probably due to the wide adoption of dairy-farming and stock-raising 

 in preference to grain growing. 



This species has found its way to the Chatham Islands. 



Bullfinch {Pyrrhula europcea) 



According to Captain Hutton six bullfinches were introduced into 

 Nelson. But Mr F. G. Gibbs says: "Bullfinches have never been 

 acclimatised in Nelson." 



In 1875 Mr R. Bills presented the Canterbury Society with a 

 pair of these birds. 



Mr H. Guthrie-Smith also, as quoted by Mr J. Drummond, says : 

 " I saw a pair of bullfinches on one occasion in manuka country. Two 

 friends on whom I can rely have seen bullfinches." This was in 

 Hawke's Bay. While there is no record of any of the societies having 

 introduced them, there is no doubt they have been frequently brought 

 in by dealers. 



Mr H. Hill (19 16) speaks of it as a regular visitant to Napier and 

 says it attacks the birds and flowers of the peach, nectarine and 

 apricot, sometimes disappearing altogether. It has also been doubt- 

 fully reported from Taranaki. 



In many of the recorded cases of bullfinches being seen, the birds 

 when sent to experts proved to be chaffinches. There should be no 

 possibility of mistaking such a conspicuous bird. 



Reed Sparrow; Reed Bunting {Emberiza schceniclus) 



The Otago Society liberated four in 1871, but there is no further 

 record of them. 



*Cirl Bunting {Emberiza cirlus) 



The Otago Society liberated seven in 1871. They seem at once 

 to have increased and spread, and Mr W. W. Smith in 1916 reports 

 them as common in Taranaki. They occur in flocks along the coast, 

 at Hawera, etc. I have noticed that some dealers and bird-catchers 

 do not know the difference between these and yellow-hammers. In 

 October, 191 5, 1 saw a large cage of so-called yellow-hammers which 

 had been taken in the neighbourhood of Dunedin; several were cirl 

 buntings. It is difficult to distinguish between the young of the two 

 species. In 1879 ^^ vfete liberated in Stewart Island, but they 



