88 On the Ornithology of Wilts \_Fringillid<t~\. 



no song, and associates in winter with Chaffinches and Yellow 

 Buntings which congregate at that season in the stubble field and 

 rick-jrard. 



" Hawfinch " ( Coccothraustes vulgaris) . When once seen will not 

 be confounded with any other species, its large horny beak giving 

 it a remarkable appearance : and this thickness of bill renders 

 necessary a large size of head, and a stout neck, which give the 

 bird a top-heavy clumsy look, making the body and limbs seem 

 disproportionately small. It occasionally visits us in the winter, 

 when it may be seen consuming greedily the berries of the white- 

 thorn ; the stones of which it breaks with apparent ease by means 

 of its strong and massive bill, hence its scientific name, Cocco- 

 thraustes " berry breaker." It has also of late been discovered to 

 remain and breed here in several localities, among which favoured 

 spots we have been enabled through the diligence of a member of 

 Marlborough College to include this County j 1 for Mr. Eeginald 

 Bosworth Smith informs us that " it frequents Savernake Forest, 

 and nearly every spring three or four or even five nests are met 

 with : they select the thickest hawthorn bushes, and build their 

 nests close to the top, where they are quite concealed." In addition 

 to this statement of its permanent residence here, I have notices of 

 its occurrence in 1845 near Devizes from Mr. Elgar Sloper ; of its 

 being frequently killed in North Wilts, and brought to Mr. 

 Withers for preservation ; of its appearance near Salisbury in 

 1832 from Mr. Marsh : and I have myself shot it at Old Park 

 on the topmost spray of a copper beech in the garden (as I before 

 mentioned in this Magazine Vol. ii. 171). Its general colour is 

 reddish brown, with black throat, and black and white wings and 

 tail ; the larger wing feathers have a peculiar formation, and pre- 

 sent the appearance of having been clipped square at the ends with 

 a pair of scissors : they are glossy black, with a white oblong spot 

 on the inner webs, singularly truncated at their points ; or (as 

 Yarrell, says) " formed like an antique battle or bill-hook." The 

 beak in the living bird is of a delicate rose tint, which however 

 quickly fades after death to a dull yellow. 



1 See Zoologist for 1857, page 5681. 



