BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 81 
in '"th*. / n '^'^ ""'^ conspicuously absent.f but 
in the following winter they were unusually plen /ful t 
In November 1894, they were, says " Mabie Moss," very 
numerous, and continued to increase till March 18th, 1895 
when they began to diminish,§ but Mr. Hugh Mackav 
observed that some were stiU to be seen on May mh j 
The foUowing year the beech-nuts failed to fill, and 
not a Brambling was to be seen. In 1898 a sma 1 im- 
migration took place; and in 1906-1907 they were muTh 
more general^ distributed throughout the "bounty ZZ 
usual In 1908-1909 large flocks were seen near Langholm 
and also at Penpont. ^dngnoim, 
f.i? that in his experience, so Mr. R. Service 
tells me, this county i. never visited by such large flocks 
of a tho ^ rr t ^'"rightshire, where'upwtd 
of a thousand birds have been seen together at one time. 
THE LINNET. Limta cannahina (Linnaeus). 
Local names-RED Linnet ; Rose-Linnet ; Rose-Lintie • 
Bkown Linnet ; Redpoll ; Whin-Lintie ; L™ ' 
' ^^ance from a sunset sky, 
Ihe Song of Lark or Linnet, 
May move the heart as God were nigh 
And Love divine were in it." 
Thomas McKie.— " Eternal Nature^ 
A fairly common resident of local distribution. 
The Linnet, a lover of broom and gorse, of whin and of 
iotT'.*^ in the advancement of agriculture; and t 
not to-day so widespread in its range as it was in Sir 
* Naturalist, 1853, p. 156. 
t Trans. D. ami G. Nat. Hist. Soc, February 6th, 1890 
J Scottish Naturalist, 1891, Vol. V., p. 95. 
§ Dumfries Courier and Herald, February 4th, 1895 
II Dumfries Standard, May 29th, 1895. 
G 
