bitant of thofe frigid regions ; from whence it migrates to mod 

 of the Northern parts of Europe, Afia, and America ; its 

 vifits to this country are very irregular, in fome feafons it 

 has been obferved in large flocks, in others fcarcely a folitary 

 bird is to be met with through the whole kingdom. We 

 noticed feveral in a large fir plantation, near Leath-Hill, 

 Surrey, in 1807. From Montague's Ornithological Dict- 

 ionary we learn, " the female builds as early as January; fhe 

 places her neft under the bare branches of the pine-tree, fixing 

 it with the refmous matter which exudes from that tree, and 

 befmearing it on the outfide with the fame fubftance, fo that 

 no rain or fnow can penetrate it." 



In fome years thefe birds are very injurious to our apple- 

 orchards, as a flock fometimes alights on a tree foon after day- 

 break, and will entirely ftrip it of its fruit in a fhort time ; it 

 is the more diftructive as it is only the feeds or kernels that it 

 confumes, to get at which, it cuts or fcrapes away the pulp ; 

 from this circumftance it derives the common appellation of 

 Shel-Apple. 



