SISKIN. 



FRINGILLA SPINUS, Linn. 



Friugilla spiuus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 322 (1766) ; Naum. v. 



p. 155; Hewitson, i. p. 198. 

 Carduelis spinus, Macg. i. p. 400 ; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 126. 

 Chrysomitris spinus, Dresser, in. p. 541. 



Tnrin, French ; Zeisig, German ; Lugano, Spanish. 



This very pretty little Finch is a more or less frequent 

 autumnal or winter visitor to most of our English 

 counties, but has been found breeding, according to 

 Mr. Howard Saunders, " exceptionally in Surrey, Sussex, 

 and Durham, and regularly in some parts of Cumber- 

 land." In the Highlands of Scotland it breeds regu- 

 larly and in some numbers in the old fir-woods, and, as 

 has been lately discovered, in several localities in Ireland. 

 The beauty, extraordinary tameness, and pleasant song 

 of the Siskin render it a very favourite cage-bird : the 

 London bird-catchers used, in my boyhood, generally to 

 speak of and sell this bird under the name of "Aberde- 

 vine," which sobriquet caused considerable confusion in 

 the minds of certain uninitiated purchasers on account 

 of its similarity to " Aberdavat," the name given by 

 these dealers to a small exotic Finch, which is, if I 



