]]2 FRINGILLID.E. 



Descending farther towards the south, we find this species 

 in Scotland, a country peculiarly adapted to its taste on 

 account of its wild uncultivated mountains, barren or partly 

 clothed with stunted shrubs, — especially in the northern 

 parts. In Sutherlandshire, according to Selby, these birds 

 are generally distributed : and the Rev. G. Gordon, in his 

 Fauna of Moray, speaks of them as occurring in flocks, at 

 the elevation of four or five hundred feet above the level 

 of the sea at the Gedloch, five miles south of Elgin. 



The Mountain Linnet is also met with, in summer, but 

 probably to less extent, in some of the northern counties 

 of England. It has been found in the breeding-season in 

 Yorkshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire, but has not been 

 at present traced further south in this country in summer. 

 This being the case, it is a subject of surprise at first sight 

 to find this species residing permanently so far south as the 

 mountains of Switzerland ; and still more so, when we learn 

 from Mr. Drummond, that in the islands of Crete and Corfu 

 the Mountain Linnet is common and a permanent resident. 

 It is probable that in these instances the temperature of the 

 climate, owing to the greater elevation, as regards Switzer- 

 land, or other local causes, may be on a parallel with that 

 of more northern countries at the same season ; otherwise, 

 we could not account for the non-appearance of this species, 

 during the summer, in the middle and south of England, 

 and indeed throughout the rest of Europe, no part of which 

 extends further to the south than the latitude of Crete. 



On the approach of winter, the Mountain Linnet leaves 

 the most northern parts above enumerated, and descends 

 southward, spreading over the southern parts of Sweden, 

 England, Germany, France, and Italy. In England they 

 arrive about the end of September, and are observed to flock 

 with the common linnets, whom they resemble much in their 

 manners and food. In the southern parts of England they 



