41 



Summary. — 2 contained seeds of noxious weeds ; 2, in- 

 different seeds ; 1, mustard ; 3, maize ; 3, wheat. 



Field Notes. — 218. Injury to Seed Crops. — Feeds extensively 

 upon the seeds of all the Brassica tribe (turnip, radish, mustard, 

 sprouts, &c.), especially when the young plants are just breaking 

 through the soil. So persistent are these birds in their efforts 

 to gain admission to seed beds that I have known them to 

 make their way through a double thickness of ordinary fish- 

 netting, and in the course of 2 or 3 hours destroy almost every 

 embryo plant within the enclosure. This habit was most 

 marked in the neighbourhood of Up well, Cambs, where in years 

 gone by it was the general custom among horticulturists to 

 lay down poisoned wheat in order to destroy the birds and 

 save the crops. I have noticed the same habit in many 

 localities in Norfolk, Gloucestershire and Cheshire. Fields of 

 freshly sown turnip seed are equally attractive, and it is 

 sometimes necessary to employ a watcher to frighten the birds 

 away ; though the injury to such crops is often done in the 

 early morning before the watcher arrives. 



219. Feeds on Charlock. — In certain districts in Flintshire, 

 where the charlock is abundant and allowed to " seed," large 

 flocks of this and other finches congregate together and feed 

 upon the seeds of this plant. (See also Record No. 214.) In 

 town gardens (Chester and elsewhere) they also feed freely upon 

 the seeds of the sunflower, and in winter will eat the seeds of the 

 wild rose. In the latter case the fruit is opened at the end and 

 the seeds or kernels extracted, and split either longitudinally 

 or transversely ; the noise produced being audible at some 

 considerable distance (see also Record No. 217). 



Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pallas.). 



220,221. 2 Males; Mollington, Chester; nth January, 

 1889. — Filled with kernels of the hawthorn. 



222, 223. 1 Male ; 1 Female ; Manley, Cheshire ; 11th 

 January, 1889. — Kernels of the hawthorn mixed with fragments 

 of the outer shell. 



224. Male ; Whitchurch, Salop ; 15th February, 1895. — 

 Filled with kernels of the hawthorn, mixed with fragments of 

 the hard shell. 



225. Male ; Aid ford, Chester ; 22nd March, 1899. — Filled 



