294 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



coming more common amongst ns year by year. They are always 

 to be found in small parties in onr own parish every winter, and 

 sometimes may be said to be numerous. Mr. Jervoise's gardener's 

 son caught two during the winter of 1876- 7, in gins which he had 

 set for mice, one of which — a nice cock bird — he kept alive for some 

 months. They are to be met with also not unfrequently in the 

 Warminster district. King informing me that twelve or more were 

 killed during the summer of 1877, in Mr. Wheeler's nursery garden, 

 in that town, so that there must have been one or two broods of 

 them hatched out not far from that place. The He v. G. S. Master, 

 also, Rector of Dean, tells me that his gardener looks upon them 

 with no friendly eye, and knows them well ; as summer after summer 

 they come and attack his green peas, and do more damage among 

 them in a short time than all the sparrows and other small birds 

 put together. On writing to Dean last year about them Mr. Master 

 thus replies, " My gardener tells me that yesterday (July 7th, 1877) 

 when he was on the look out for Jays, which trouble him much in 

 the garden, a family party of Hawfinches — two old and five young 

 ones — with mnch chattering and screeching, invaded the garden, 

 and making straight for the rows of peas, commenced their depreda- 

 tions. They always visit us in this way, and at this season, but we 

 have never been able to ascertain their breeding-place. These last 

 seem to have come from the other side of Dean Hill. I find they 

 are well known at Whiteparish/'' Hart also informs me that a year 

 or two ago they were very common in the Christehurch district, 

 numbers of them being killed with the boys by catapults. The cock 

 bird is a very striking fellow when in good plumage, putting you 

 rather in mind of a gigantic cock sparrow, from the black mark 

 that extends down the throat from the lower mandible. A nip from 

 one of these birds is by no means to be coveted, bearing rightly as 

 it does as one of its common names, " The Grosbeak/'' from its un- 

 usually thick and powerfull bill. 



Coccothraustes Chloris. " The Greenfinch/'' Too common to need 

 description. Last year my two little boys were at their lessons as 

 usual, when they were surprised by a double-barrelled thud against 

 the plate-glass of the window, which reaches down to the ground, 



