286 



BIRDS. 



Ligurinus chloris (X.). Greenfinch. 



Local Name. — Green Lintie. 



Common and resident north of the Great Glen, but in winter 

 partially migratory to the cultivated areas. The Greenfinch is 

 an increasing species in places. Mr. Malcolm says it is getting 

 commoner at Invergarry (1892), and nesting there. About Inver- 

 ness it nests in the gardens near the town, but leaves when the 

 young are hatched. 



South of the Ness the Greenfinch is abundant in the lower 

 reaches and most cultivated areas, frequenting gardens, shrub- 

 beries, and high-hedged fields and lanes, especially amongst mixed 

 areas of hardwoods, and is very generally distributed. It is also 

 abundant in the Laigli of Moray and all along the south coast and 

 inland plantations of the Moray Firth; also along Speyside and 

 Strathspey, Glen Fiddich, and Strathavon, through the lower 

 reaches, but is somewhat local in the latter glens (Hinxman). 

 Eecords date back to the earliest we have access to, viz., 1844 

 {Fauna of Moray). 



In 1893 we met with clouds of Greenfinches among the well- 

 wooded reaches of Lower Speyside and around Fochabers ; and also 

 on Lower Deveron they were breeding very abundantly in May. 

 They were not observed in Upper Glen Avon by Hinxman, but 

 were seen at Colgart, about 1400 feet. 



Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pall. Hawfinch. 



St. John writes: 'I have seen the Hawfinch or Grosbeak (Coccothraustes 

 vulgaris) on the opposite coast of Sutherlandshire, but have not 

 seen it in Morayshire. A bird was described to me as having 

 been seen near Forres, which I have little doubt was the Hawfinch ' 

 (Natural History and Sport in Moi'ay, p. 119). 



Gray quotes A. G. More (Distribution of British Birds in the 

 Nesting Season) that it reaches Banff'shire, but there is no evidence 

 otherwise to show this except Edward's imperfect record, ' a rare 

 bird with us' — no doubt the only authority for A. G. More's 

 statement. 



Passer donnesticus (L.). Common Sparrow. 



Local Names. — Spurd ; (at Keith) Gregor. 



Abundant and widely distributed, but local north of the Ness. The 



