6598 



Birds. 



Fresh prints of horses' feet preceded me along the path. My old fears 

 returned, as now with eager step I hastened on. The spot was gained. 

 Alas ! what a sight ! the almost fledged young, four in number, and 

 nest, amalgamated in one shapeless mass. 



The Cirl Bunting (E. cirlus). One near Cornhill, of Park, is the 

 only instance of the occurrence of this species with us, so far as I am 

 aware. 



The Chaffinch {Fringilla ccelebs). Abundant. 



The Brambling (F. montifringilla). A winter visitor. A few may 

 be met with almost every season. I have one, a male, which was pro- 

 cured here in May, 1848. They are sometimes taken by the boys 

 catching larks and linnets in stormy weather, and are denominated 

 "foreigners." 



The Tree Sparrow (F. montana). In Duff House avenue, and, I 

 believe, in several other localities throughout the county. 



The House Sparrow (F. domestica). Numerous. We call it "spurgie" 

 and sometimes "spurdie." Pied varieties are not infrequent. One of a 

 jet black frequented our harbour for a long series of years. The sparrow, 

 like the skite, does not stand very high in the estimation of many of 

 the young folks ; but why, I am at a loss to understand. 



The Greenfinch {F. cliloris). By no means in such numbers as the 

 chaffinch and house sparrow, but pretty generally distributed through- 

 out the county wherever there is wood. This bird is easily tamed : I 

 have had them so trained as to sit on my shoulders and head, that is, 

 on my bonnet, and to accompany me wheresoever I went, and without 

 ever seeking to fly away. They knew me as well as I did them. If I 

 had left them or hid from them they would have come to me, to any 

 distance, so soon as I called to them or appeared in sight. That there 

 is a great diversity both as regards shape and colouring, amongst the 

 eggs of birds of the same species, is well known to all who pay the very 

 least attention to these things. I have found this to be particularly 

 the case as respects the greenfinch. In nearly every nest which 1 have 

 seen scarcely two have been alike : some round, like a marble ; some 

 oblong, almond-shaped as it were ; some large and others small ; some 

 beautifully mottled with minute reddish dots, sometimes on a pure 

 white, and sometimes on a bluish or grayish ground, sometimes having 

 large blotches of red, at others having no spots at all. I have found 

 them with young as late as September. It would appear, at least so 

 far as I have seen, that six generally form a brood of this species : I 

 have found them, it is true, with four, as also five, but this very seldom. 

 They are easily reared ; in fact, give them plenty of food, that is, 



