570 Birds. 



anxious to ascertain whether this nest was only an incidental one, or whether the bird 

 constantly hred in the neighbourhood, I started one evening (on the 24th of March) to 

 search in a spot which I knew to be a favourite resort of the hawfinches, situated on 

 the borders of the forest, abounding in a growth of lofty timber interspersed with fine 

 old. hawthorn and yew trees. I was speedily rewarded by the discovery of two nests, 

 one containing three the other one or two eggs, both similarly situated about twenty 

 feet from the ground, amongst the forked boughs of the old hawthorns : we also ob- 

 served the commencement of another nest in a neighbouring tree very similarly placed 

 and all within a few yards of each other. These nests, one of which I have still in my 

 possession, were composed of precisely the same materials as that above described, and 

 for their size are very shallow. During the autumn we pretty much lost sight of our 

 interesting visitors, except their being occasionally observed feeding in company with 

 whitethroats and some other birds on the ripe berries of the Mespilus, a fine specimen 

 of which tree stood near the house : but during the following winter, that of 1837-8, 

 which was remarkably severe, a numerous colony frequented our garden, as many as 

 twenty to thirty being generally seen in the morning feeding on the berries of a fa- 

 vourite holly. On the least alarm they quickly dispersed to the topmost boughs of the 

 neighbouring lofty trees, where they remained, if not further molested, till the danger 

 had passed, and then returned to their meal. There is a considerable difference in 

 the brightness of the plumage of different specimens, the old birds being richer in co- 

 lour throughout, the males especially, the young males apparently partaking of the 

 plumage of the females, whose chief distinguishing mark is the patch of colour beneath 

 the chin being brown instead of glossy black, as in the males. The peculiar character- 

 istics of this handsome bird are the curiously notched form of the quill feathers of the 

 wing and their thick powerful beak, formed for breaking hard kernels and fruit-stones. 

 The muscle by which this is effected is wonderfully developed, being turned backward 

 over the skull, which is ridged over the eye to receive it, almost to the root of the beak. 

 Their bite is of course severe, and I have frequently noticed the ground beneath the 

 tree on which they have been feeding, covered with twigs and leaves cut off by their 

 powerful beaks as if with scissors. When kept in confinement the hawfinch is shy, 

 and does not easily become reconciled to its situation. One young bird which we 

 caught about seven months ago (its wing having been injured), is still healthy, but 

 from feeding ravenously on hemp-seed has lost much of its brightness of plumage, 

 and, like the bulfinch appears inclined to turn black. In the winter season, and espe- 

 cially during severe weather, these birds are frequently seen in the neighbourhood of 

 the forest in large flocks of from fifty to a hundred or more feeding on the seeds of the 

 hornbeam, to which they appear to be particularly partial ; and as spring advances, 

 they disperse into retired spots to breed. I am inclined to think that their shy habits, 

 together with their being a very local species, has led to their having remained so long 

 comparatively unobserved ; and I much doubt their numbers being increased by a win- 

 ter migration from other countries, their apparent numbers at that season being pro- 

 bably only the result of their congregating together and becoming more bold in their 

 approach to our gardens and orchards. — J. Gurney Barclay ; Walthamstoiv, Essex, 

 March 16, 1844. 



Notes on the habits of the Chaffinch in East Lothian. There are few men who, hav- 

 ing been brought up in the country, do not cherish some fond recollections of the chaf- 

 finch, his merry song, the beauty of his plumage, his vivacity, his loud warning notes 

 of danger to other little birds and the elegance of his lichen-crusted nest. Of a fami- 



