86 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
Mr John Corrie says he once (about 1883-1884) " caught 
two of these birds in the hand, by simply following a flock 
of them and imitating their feeding note."* 
As regards the nesting of this species, A. G. More m 1865 
stated that he had no authority for saymg the Twite 
nested in the Solway area.f However, Dr Anst-ther 
Davidson in 1888 records that it is reported to have ^red 
in Upper Nithsdale,? and Mr. W. ^'^'^^^'^''''^^^^^ 
informed me in 1908 that it nested m Nutberry Moss 
(Kirkpatrick-Fleming). -, i ..^^u. 
The Twite will probably be found to breed, less rarely 
than is indicated, in the long, rank heather, in fox-coverts 
(as in Dryfesdale), in furze thickets, and m similar 
situations scattered throughout the county. 
THE BRITISH BULLFINCH. 
Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata, Macgillivray. 
Local name — Bully. 
" Then forth into his garden, counsel there 
To hold with the old gardener, or with ear 
Patient attend his manifold complaints 
Of Birds unthinned, the bullfinch worst of all 
Whose cursed beak-what can the fellow mean? 
For worms he seeks not, nor one blossom eats- 
Plays such wild havoc with the apple buds- 
' He's a bad boy,' says Frank, and whistles off 
Along the broad green walk— ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^.^^ „ 
A resident: in autumn fairly generally distributed, but in .pring found 
somewhat locally in the arable districts. 
In the Statistical Account of Scotland the Bullfinch is men- 
tioned as one of the birds found in the parishes of Ruthwell,§ 
* Trans. D. and O. Nat. Hist. Soc, November 10th, 1888. 
t Ihis, 1865, p. 130. 
X Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, November 10th, 1888. 
§ Stat. Acct. Scot., Vol. X., p. 224. 
