144 GOLDCREST. 
with the hand. Selby reiates his having observed an immense 
flight on the 26th. of October, 1822, after a heavy gale 
on the two preceding days from the north-east, which also 
brought over the Redwings, Fieldfares, and Woodcocks. He 
ascertained the flight to have extended from Berwick-on-Tweed 
to Whitby, in Yorkshire. They were completely exhausted 
on their first arrival, and numbers were taken with the hand, 
but they shortly afterwards spread over the country, and at 
Christmas few more than the usual numbers were visible.’ He 
also adds the following, and it is certainly a very remarkabie 
fact, as proving that non-migratory birds may become so on 
occasion, at all events to some distant part of the country, 
which indeed probably is the case with some of the present 
species every year for some cause or other, prescient of 
unfavourable seasons or inclement weather:— 
‘A more extraordinary circumstance in the economy of this 
bird took place during the same winter, namely, the total 
disappearance of the whole tribe, natives as well as strangers, 
throughout Scotland and the north of England. This happened 
towards the conclusion of the month of January, 1823, and a 
few days previous to the long-continued snow-storm so severely 
felt throughout the northern counties of England, and along 
the eastern parts of Scotland. The range and point of this 
migration are unascertained, but it must probably have been 
a distant one, from the fact of not a single pair having 
returned to breed, or pass the succeeding summer, in the 
situations they had been known always to frequent, nor was 
one of the species to be seen till the following October, or 
about the usual time,.as I have above stated, for our receiving 
an annual accession to our indigenous birds.’ Spurn Point, 
at the south-east extremity of Yorkshire, is said to be a favourite 
place for assemblage on arrival and departure. For a week 
or more in the month of October they come thither in a 
succession of small parties, and when they have formed into ~ 
flocks of a few thousands, they disappear. The same thing 
was observed in November, 1844, on a smaller scale, on Looe 
Island, in Cornwall. In the year 18338, on the 7th. ct October, 
a flock alighted on the rigging of a ship fourteen miles from 
land. off Whitby. ~ 
Their favourite haunt is the pine, fir, or larch plantation, 
or wool, where they may be seen hanging in every variety 
of attitude, pictures of active existence, intent on their life’s 
great business, the procuring of their food ‘They also at 
