136 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



GREENFINCH. 



Ligurinus chloris (L. ). 



There are, of course, many parts of Lakeland so wholly 

 unsuited to the habits of this Finch, that, practically, the bird 

 rarely or never visits them. I allude to the wild moors of our 

 eastern fells, especially those of Westmorland. Elsewhere the 

 6 Greenie,' as our bird-catchers call it, is generally a common 

 bird, nesting in our gardens and in our hawthorn hedges. The 

 species is especially abundant in Furness and in the open country 

 round Carnforth, where its numbers are stronger than in most 

 districts of Cumberland. 



HAWFINCH. 



Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pall. 



The earliest record of this species in Lakeland is furnished 

 by a letter addressed by T. C. Heysham to Mr. W. C. Aikin, 

 dated Carlisle, November 19, 1833 : ' The past season here has 

 been an extremely barren one with us as regards ornithological 

 rarities, and the only novelty of any consequence that has come 

 to my knowledge is a specimen of the Hawfinch, which was 

 repeatedly seen in the months of Janry. and Feby. last in the 

 pleasure-grounds of a lady, about four miles from the city, who, 

 however, would not allow it to be killed. This is the only 

 instance, that I am aware of, that the Hawfinch has been 

 observed in Cumberland.' The lady in question was the accom- 

 plished Miss Losh of Woodside, who, as a matter of fact, called 

 Mr. Heysham to task for having sent out Cooper to try to kill 

 the bird on her property ; ' its able defence seemed to merit it 

 a secure retreat, but it must either have been shot, or flown to 

 a distance, as it has never been seen since.' Strange to say, the 

 Hawfinch has never to this day become a settled colonist in 

 Cumberland. No doubt the young one, which Mr. Sutton shot 

 out of a family party at Bridekirk, in August 1882, had been 

 bred in the neighbourhood. 



There is a specimen in the Keswick Museum, which was caught 

 in the neighbourhood and kept alive for some years. Some few 



