2300 Birds. 



and his cattle in the latter. It is evident, however, from the appearance of the grains 

 found in their crops, — which are generally remarkably good, plump and excellent, — 

 that it is in a great measure procured from the sides of corn-ricks, in which they bur- 

 row almost to the tail, and thus rob the farmer of a portion cf that produce which 

 ought to have been sold in the market. To sum up my observations : as far as I can 

 judge the sparrow is an insectivorous bird only when very young, and then his diet is 

 varied with soft green peas, or, as the season advances, milky grain from wheat-fields. 

 For nine months or more of the first year of his existence he feeds on grain, and when 

 reared he exists almost entirely upon it. Anecdotes, I am aware, are on record of the 

 sparrow carrying to its nest great numbers of insects, and these anecdotes are often 

 recorded by persons who are no naturalists, and who mistake the insectivorous hedge 

 accentor for the common sparrow. Look at a sparrow's bill ! What is that bill made 

 for ? To crack grain or pick up insects ? I have penued these observations with re- 

 luctance, knowing that our high authorities — Yarrell, Jesse, Knapp, &c. — are of a 

 contrary opinion, and until I examined the subject fur myself I coincided with them; 

 but I cannot shut my eyes to facts. I would willingly have recorded in favour of the 

 sparrow a verdict of " not guilty " of the depredations imputed to him, but my evidence 

 is against him. Doubtless this bird was created originally, like other animals, for a 

 wise and useful purpose, and was kept in due bounds by the hawks, owls, and preda- 

 tory birds, and thus prevented from becoming an annoyance ; but in stepped the game- 

 preserver, destroyed the predatory birds, and thus left the sparrow at liberty to 'increase. 

 Now some other means must be devised for his being kept in subjection. Your readers 

 would render essential service to agriculture if they would give their opinions upon 

 this subject. If the sparrow is a grain- destroyer he ought to be destroyed. Corn that 

 will feed birds will feed men. — John Joseph Briggs ; King's Neivton, Melbourne, Der- 

 byshire, September 20, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Hawfinch (Loxia coccothraustes) at Knaresborough. — A specimen 

 of the hawfinch was taken near this place in a trap, during the winter of 1846-7 ; I 

 have another which was shot at Scriven, about a mile from Knaresborough, in 1836 ; 

 and a third specimen was seen in company with that last mentioned : it is a rare bird 

 here. — James C. Garth; Knaresborough, October 17, 1848. 



Proposed alteration of Name in the Europcean White-winged Crossbill, and Occur- 

 rence of the American White-winged Crossbill in England. — In preparing a list of 

 Godalming birds as part of the Appendix to the ' Letters of Rusticus,' I have been 

 very greatly assisted by Mr. Salmon and Mr. Henry Doubleday, whose revision was 

 absolutely necessary before I could publish the mass of interesting materials in my 

 hands. The name of the white-winged crossbill having been added to the list by Mr. 

 Salmon, Mr. Doubleday informs me that the bird which has occurred several times in 

 Britain, and which is figured and described in Yarrell's ' British Birds,' is totally dis- 

 tinct from the American white-winged crossbill : in this opinion Mr. Yarrell coincides, 

 and in his note to me adds the interesting information that a single specimen of the 

 American bird has also occurred in Britain, — he believes in Dorsetshire. The nomen- 

 clature of the two species may therefore stand thus : — 



The European bird or Two-barred Crossbill = the Loxia bifasciata of Nilsson, 

 the Crucirostra bifasciata of Brehm, the Loxia tccnioptera of Gloger, and the 

 Loxia leucoptcra of Jenyns, Gould, Eyton, and Yarrell. 



The North-American bird or White-winged Crossbill = the Loxia leucoptcra of 

 Gmelin, Wilson, Bonaparte, and Richardson. — Edward Newman. 



