MOUNTAIN FINCH, OR BBAMBLING. 89 



In the winter of 1835 they were very plentiful in various 

 parts of Surrey and elsewhere ; and it has been observed that 

 these birds appeared in immense numbers in the neighbour- 

 hood of Farnham during the winter of 1842, while for many 

 years previously single specimens only had been occasionally 

 met with. 



Although large flocks have sometimes been observed in 

 this country, they are not apparently so numerous at any 

 time here as in France, according to the account of Bewick ; 

 or as they are in Germany, where, says Bechstein, they 

 assemble in the beech-forests in Thuringia in immense 

 numbers — it is supposed more than a hundred thousand. 



Some years ago, a nest with four eggs was sent to us 

 from a friend in Suffolk, which was stated to be that of the 

 Bramble, or Mountain Finch ; it was larger than that of 

 a greenfinch, and the eggs were different from any in our 

 collection. This nest remained a solitary specimen with 

 us until the year 1843, when we were fortunate enough 

 to possess ourselves of another, under the following cir- 

 cumstances. In the month of May, we found a nest that 

 we supposed to be that of a greenfinch, in an elm-tree, near 

 our garden ; but the situation was uncommon for that species, 

 and the eggs, when laid, were remarkably large. These 

 and other circumstances induced us to watch the bird ; when 

 it proved to be neither greenfinch nor linnet, although it 

 flew like the latter in inverted arches, uttering tiddit ! tid- 

 dit I with each spring in its flight. It was a brown bird 

 of rather large and heavy appearance, and was seen by several 

 of our party, and by all considered to be decidedly a hen 

 Brambling. She was seen several times, and the note pecu- 

 liar to the species frequently heard. Some ineffectual efforts 

 which we made to catch her on the nest, being unwil- 

 ling to shoot her, caused her to forsake it ; and the only 

 course that remained to us, was to possess ourselves of 



