BIRDS OF LLEYN, WEST CARNARVONSHIRE. 493 



the Greater and the Blue, both fairly common. The Wren is 

 remarkably abundant. The Tree-Creeper I saw once at Bode- 

 groes. I saw no Red-backed Shrikes, but Mr. Coward found a 

 pair breeding near Llanbedrog in June, 1887 ; a very interesting 

 occurrence. The Spotted Flycatcher is fairly common ; I saw it 

 in five localities on or near the south coast. But the Pied Fly- 

 catcher was looked for in vain. The Swallow is, I think, only 

 fairly numerous, and the House-Martin rare. I saw one as far 

 west as a pond between the village of Aberdaron and Braich y 

 Pwll. The Sand-Martin is quite common, haunting the sea- 

 coast so much as to make the name of " Shore Bird," bestowed 

 upon it by some early writers, seem natural and appropriate. 

 There are colonies of Sand-Martins in the sand-cliffs near Llan- 

 bedrog, and the wasting earthy cliffs of Porth Nigel (Hell's 

 Mouth). The Greenfinch and Linnet exist in fair numbers. I 

 watched a pair of Goldfinches feeding their young in a nest built 

 in an old plum-tree in a garden hedge at Efail-newydd, and saw 

 a pair at Llanbedrog, and other birds at Pwllheli. Mr. Coward 

 has seen a few at Abersoch, so it is probably not uncommon. 

 The House-Sparrow would not seem numerous to anyone coming 

 from a wheat-growing country, there being too little corn for 

 it ; but it long ago extended its range into the utmost limits of 

 Lleyn. The Rev. W. Bingley, who travelled in Carnarvonshire 

 in 1798, was told of Bardsey Isle :— " Till about four years 

 ago no Sparrows had been known to breed here ; three nests 

 were, however, built during the same spring, and the produce has 

 since completely colonized the place." The Chaffinch is com- 

 mon, and Mr. Coward adds the Bullfinch to my list. He has 

 also seen a caged Lesser Redpoll, caught near Nevin in the 

 winter. When I was on Yr Eifl, I noticed one or two birds 

 which I thought were Twites from their notes ; but I could not 

 identify the birds making the note, as they were very wild. Mr. 

 Coward, however, saw "flocks on 'The Rivals' and Cam Mad- 

 ryn " (in late summer) ; I could see no Twites about the latter 

 mountain (in June). 



To rear black cattle, tall white Pigs, and many grey Geese, 

 with some useful low Horses, and a certain number of Sheep on 

 the hills, is the occupation of the Lleyn farmer, rather than corn 

 growing ; but many of the small fields right up to the foot of 



