A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



seven hundred swallows perished from cold and 

 wet. {Zoologist, 1886, p. 248.) Great flocks 

 frequent our meres in autumn before their 

 migration flight. 



55. House- Martin. Chelidon urhica (Linn.). 

 Equally common with the last species but 



later in arriving. For some unknown cause it 

 is often weeks later in some years than in others in 

 returning to its annually frequented haunts, 

 though abundant in neighbouring districts. 

 Numerous house-martins succumbed to the 

 disastrous weather of May 1886. 



56. Sand-Martin. Cotile riparia (Linn.). 



A simimer visitor, numerous wherever it finds 

 suitable sandbanks. 



57. Greenfinch. Ligurinus chloris (Linn.). 

 Locally, Green Linnet. 



A resident and generally distributed species. 

 In times of hard frost it frequents dwellings in 

 association with starlings, sparrows, robins, and 

 gulls. 



58. Hawfinch. Coccothramtes vulgaris, Pallas. 

 Resident and fairly numerous, and becoming 



more so of late years. 



59. Goldfinch. Carduelis elegans, Stephens. 



A resident and widely distributed species, but 

 less numerous than formerly. 



60. Siskin. Carduelis spinus (Linn.). 

 Locally, Aberdevine. 



A winter visitor in small flocks. There is a 

 record of the siskin having bred near Lancaster 

 in 1836. (Mitchell, Birds of Lancashire, ed. 2, 

 P- 63.) 

 6i. House Sparrow. Passer domesticus (Linn.). 



Abundant. 



62. Tree Sparrow. Passer montanus (Linn.). 



A resident occurring sparingly throughout the 

 county. 



63. Chaflinch. Fringilla ccelebs, Linn. 

 Locally, Pink-pink, Fleckie. 



A resident, and very common everywhere. 



64. Brambling. Fringilla montifringilla, Linn. 

 An occasional mid-winter visitor. 



65. Linnet. Linota cannahina (Linn.). 



Locally, Brovm Linnet, Gorse-finch. 



A resident and common species throughout 

 the county in whin-covered moors and especially 

 in gorse fields not far fi-om the sea. 



66. Mealy Redpoll. Linota linaria (Linn.). 

 This species was caught occasionally twenty 



years ago on Mellor Moor, as Mr. R. J. Howard 

 has satisfied himself. (Saunders, in Mitchell's 

 Birds of Lancashire, ed. 2, p. 73 «.) 



67. Lesser Redpoll. Linota rufescens (Vieillot). 



Locally, Grey Bob, Jitty. 



A resident, common in the lowlands of the 

 northern districts, where it nests freely. 



68. Twite. Linota flavirostris (Linn.). 



Locally, Moor Linnet. 



A resident species nesting on all heaths and 

 moors both in the uplands and lowlands. 



69. Bullfinch. Pyrrhula europcea, Vieillot. 

 An abundant resident. 



70. Pine-Grosbeak. Pyrrhula enucleator (Linn.). 

 There exist two records of the occurrence of 



the pine-grosbeak, one prior to 1837 at Hurlston, 

 and the second in February, 1895, at Rochdale. 

 (Mitchell, Birds of Lancashire, ed. 2, p. 75.) 



71. Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra, hinn. 



The crossbill appears at intervals of a few 

 years in small flocks which frequent the pine 

 plantations. The occurrence of a bird of the 

 year at Morecambe in 1883 suggests its having 

 been bred in the county {Birds of Lancashire, 

 ed. 2, p. 76). In former times this species nested 

 regularly. 



72. Corn-bunting. Emberiza miliaria, Linn. 



A resident and locally abundant species, espe- 

 cially on the lowlands of the Mersey Valley. 



73. Yellow Hammer. Emberiza citrinella, Linn. 



Locally, Goldfinch, Yellow Yoldring, Bessy 

 Blakeling. 



Abundant everywhere, often frequenting farm- 

 yards and lawns in company with sparrows. 



74. Cirl Bunting. Emberixa cirlus, Linn. 



A very rare visitor. It is recorded to have 

 bred at Formby (Mitchell, Birds of Lancashire, 

 ed. 2, p. 79). 



75. Ortolan Bunting. Emberiza hortulana, 



Linn. 

 A male of this species was killed near Man- 

 chester in November, 1827 {ZoologicalJournal, in. 

 p. 498), and figured by Selby. (Mitchell, Birds 

 of Lancashire, ed. 2, p. 79.) 



76. Reed Bunting. Emberiza scha^niclus, Linn. 

 Locally, Blackcap, Reed Sparrow. 



A common resident, locally distributed. 



77. Snow Bunting. Plectrophenax nivalis {hinn.). 



Locally, Shore Lark, Mountain Bunting. 



An annual winter visitant to our shores in 

 considerable numbers. 



78. Lapland Bunting. Calcarius lapponicus 



(Linn.). 

 A very rare winter visitant, and only four times 

 observed in Lancashire between the years 1834 

 and 1882. 



[94 



