BIRDS 



mas and April in some years. The siskin is 

 generally found extracting the seeds from the 

 fruits of the alder, or picking up seeds 

 amongst the debris left by floods on the 

 banks of streams, and is very tame and easily 

 captured. None have been met with for 

 many years in the neighbourhood of Exeter, 

 and Mr. Elliot has not seen any since Feb- 

 ruary 1886 near Kingsbridge. The siskin 

 has occurred near Plymouth, Ashburton, 

 Newton Abbot, Kingsbridge, Starcross and 

 around Exeter, It has been rarely seen in 

 north Devon. In 1828 three were caught 

 in summer in the marshes near Newton, 

 according to Turton and Kingston. Mr. 

 Gatcombe states that young birds were taken 

 with goldfinches near Plymouth on 24 Sep- 

 tember 1 880. 



71. Serin. Serinus hortulanus, K. L. Koch. 

 According to Mr. W. E. Pidsley [Zool. 



1892, p. 114), an example of this finch was 

 captured by a bird-catcher between Exmouth 

 and Budleigh Salterton on 29 November 

 1 89 1. It was possibly an escaped one from 

 an aviary in Exmouth. 



72. House-Sparrow. Passer domesticus (Linn.) 

 Resident, extremely abundant and gener- 

 ally distributed throughout the county. Al- 

 though of course absent from the uninhabited 

 central parts of Dartmoor, it is plentiful 

 enough at times in all the towns, villages and 

 farms on and around the moor. It was 

 formerly only an occasional visitor to Lundy 

 Island, but a colony has established itself 

 there within the last few years. Albinos and 

 parti-coloured birds frequently occur. 



73. Tree-Sparrow, Passer montanus (Linn.) 

 A casual visitor to the southern parts of 



the county, of irregular and rather rare 

 occurrence in the autumn and winter months 

 (October to March). It appears to be most 

 numerous in the Kingsbridge district, where it 

 has been met with in small parties from 

 autumn to late spring. A small flock was 

 noticed one winter frequenting the borders 

 of reed beds and some waste ground near 

 Torquay by Mr. C. Dixon. It has occurred 

 at Plymouth, near Totnes and East Bud- 

 leigh. 



74. ChaflUnch. Fringilla coelebs, Linn. 

 Locally, Maze Finch, Copper Finch, DafRnch, 



White Finch or Winch, Silver Winch, 



Chink, Pink and Wink. 

 Resident, generally distributed and very 

 abundant. Large flocks assemble in winter, 

 and probably mainly consist of immigrants. 



Mr. W. Eagle Clarke observed numbers 

 passing the Eddystone Lighthouse in October 

 1901. 



75. B rambling. Fringilla montifringilla, Linn, 

 A winter visitor of irregular appearance 



depending on the character of the season ; in 

 some years, after severe weather, occurring in 

 large numbers, whilst in others it is very 

 scarce or altogether absent. An adult male 

 occurred at Landkey near Barnstaple on 24 

 July 1856, in company with yellow buntings 

 and greenfinches. 



76. Linnet. Linota cannabina (Linn.) 

 Locally, Brown Linnet (in winter), Rose 



Linnet, Fiery and Red Linnet (in spring). 

 Resident, generally distributed and abun- 

 dant. Immense flocks are seen on the stubble- 

 fields in autumn and winter, and are probably 

 mainly composed of immigrants from the 

 north and east. Flocks also appear on the 

 south coast in spring for a few days, and con- 

 sist of very dark coloured birds. Examples 

 of the male in full red plumage in spring are 

 not very common in this county, and it has 

 been observed that the brightest plumaged 

 birds are met with on the sea coast. White 

 varieties have occurred. 



77. Mealy Redpoll, Linota linaria (Linn.) 

 The reported instances of the occurrence 



of this northern species in Devon are not 

 well authenticated. The specimen in Pin- 

 combe's collection at Plymouth, mentioned by 

 Dr. E. Moore and Bellamy, was considered to 

 be very doubtful by the late Mr. J. Gatcombe. 

 There was an example in the collection of 

 the late Mr. Cecil Smith labelled 'North 

 Devon.' It passed into the possession of the 

 Rev. Murray A. Mathew. 



78. Lesser Redpoll. Linota rufescens (Vieillot) 

 An autumn and winter visitor of irregular 



appearance. From September to March 

 inclusive, small flocks of this little finch may 

 be met with in some years feeding on the 

 seeds of birch and alder trees. Sometimes 

 they frequent the margins of rivers and leys 

 to feed on the seeds of reeds, etc., washed up 

 on the shores. It has been observed near 

 Dulverton in June, and the late Rev. H. A. 

 Macpherson saw an old redpoll feeding a 

 newly-fledged nestling on the branch of an 

 ash tree near Lynton, north Devon, in July 

 1879. It is said by Mr. C. Dixon to have 

 nested at Torquay. The last recorded 

 occurrence of the lesser redpoll in Devonshire 

 was in December 1899, when one was picked 

 up dead in a field near Kingsbridge. Some 



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