BRITISH BIRDS. 
164 
The Mountain Finch is a native of northern cli- 
mates, from whence it fpreads into various parts of 
Europe : It arrives in this country the latter end of 
fummer, and is more frequent in the mountainous 
parts of our ifland.* Great flocks of them fome- 
times come together, they fly very clofe, and on 
that account great numbers of them are frequently 
killed at one fhot. In France they are faid to ap- 
pear fometimes in fuch immenfe numbers, that the 
ground where they roofled has been covered with 
their dung for a confiderable fpace ; and in one 
year they were fo numerous, that more than fix 
hundred dozen were killed each night during the 
greateft part of the winter, f They are faid to build 
their nelts in fir trees, at a confiderable height ; it 
is compofed of long mofs, and lined with hair, 
wool, and feathers ; the female lays four or five 
eggs, white, fpotted with yellow. The flefh of the 
Mountain Finch, though bitter, is faid to be good 
to eat, and better than that of the Chaffinch, but its 
fong is much inferior, and is only a difagreeable 
kind of chirping. It feeds on feeds of various 
kinds, and is faid to be particularly fond of beech 
mail. 
* We have feen them on the Cumberland hills in the middle 
of Auguft. 
f Buffon. 
