24 THE ZOOLOGIST. . 



Dorset. — In an imperfect copy I have of Mansel-Pleydell's ' Orni" 

 thology, &c, of Dorset,' he does not include it amongst his rarer 

 birds of the county in 1875. But about 1887, in his complete work, 

 ' The Birds of Dorsetshire,' he has it resident ; more numerous since 

 the Bird Acts (Wild Birds' Protection Act) passed. 



Herefordshire. — D. Henry Graves Bull, in 1888 (' Notes on Birds of 

 Herefordshire '). Fairly plentiful and generally distributed. 



Buckingham. — Rev. B. Binges (1855) merely mentions it in his 

 List, p. 103. 



Devon. — Pidsley, in 1890. Resident, partly migratory ; formerly 

 numerous, but of late years a scarce bird. Decrease. 



Sussex. — Borrer, 1891. Formerly very common, now comparatively 

 rare ; near Bryston not one hundred may now be seen, even at the 

 most favourable time of the year. Diminution of the species. 



Somerset. — Cecil Smith, in 1869. Not very uncommon ; resident. 



Cornwall. — Hearle Rodd, in 1880. Not a scarce bird in Cornwall ; 

 local. 



Wilts.— Im Thurn in 1869. 0. 



Derbyshire. — Mr. Whitlock, in 1893. Principally known as a local 

 autumn visitor. A few pairs breed in the south of the county, but 

 only in very limited numbers. Formerly far more common. Practi- 

 cally unknown in some districts. In 1836 abundant, in 1863 still 

 common at Burton-on-Trent. In the Peak district appears to be of 

 uncertain occurrence, even in September. Partial extermination. 



Northampton. — Lord Lilford, 1880-83. Decidedly less common, 

 Decrease accounted for principally by the careful field-weeding of 

 recent years, and birdcatchers. 



East Kent. — Mr. Dowker, in 1889. Moderately common ; not 

 common of late. 



Pembroke. — M. A. Mathew, in 1891. Common, resident; still 

 about. Six nests in his grounds one summer. 



Nottingham' — Sterland and Whitaker, in 1879. Common in parts. 



Suffolk. — Babington. Generally distributed ; not uncommon at 

 Gazely, but rare at Livermore. Less abundant than formerly. 



Oxford. — Aplin, in 1889. Resident, but also migratory ; became 

 exceedingly scarce, but increased again in last three or four years. 

 Have kept up numbers in more secluded parts. 



? Durham. — Prentis in 1894, in his ' Notes on the Birds of Rain- 

 ham.' I do not often see a Goldfinch in the course of a year. 



London. — Mr. Swann, in his 'Birds of London,' in 1893. Visitor 

 on migration ; decidedly rare as a nesting species. At Stratford 

 " steadily on the increase " 



