the Broadhill, on Aberdeen links, on the 1 /th o f August, 1867.” This specimen was subsequently sent to
Professor Newton for exhibition at the Meeting of the Zoological Society o f London on the 27th January,
1870. More recently a second example, taken near Brighton, was exhibited at a Meeting o f the same
Society by George Dawson Rowley, Esq.
Family FRINGILLIDAE.
T he Finches are a family o f birds comprising a larger number o f members than the Buntings and the
Larks, and are even more widely dispersed over the earth’s surface than those o f any other group. In a
work limited to the birds o f our own islands, it would be out o f place to give an enumeration óf even the
genera into which they have been separated ; and I therefore coniine my remarks to such forms as are
found in Britain.
Subfamily FRINGILLINAS.
Genus P a s se r .
The true Sparrows are principally confined to the northern parts o f the Old World. Asia is inhabited by
several species, and Europe by four or five, two o f wbich frequent the British Islands.
1 6 2 . P iS S E B D O M E S T I C O S .............................................................................................................................................................. p |
C ommon o r H o u s e -S par row .
Distributed generally, but somewhat scarce in the northern parts of Scotland. A bird whose faults are
few in number, and respecting which a sad mistake was made when certain parochial authorities placed a
price upon its head ; for the good it effects in spring by the capture o f insects far outweighs the value o f the
few grains o f corn in a pulpy state which it occasionally takes.
163. PASSER MONTANUS .......... .................................................................................................. y o| „ j p | X X Xm
T r e e - S parrow.
A local species, and consequently much less widely diffused over the British Islands than the preceding:
not so, however, with regard to its general distribution ; for it is as common a t Shanghai and other parts of
China as it is in Europe. Both in Scotland and Ireland it is local and rare.
Genus F r in g il l a .
The members o f this genus o f pretty birds as now restricted are hut few in number. They all inhabit
the northern and western portions uf the Old World. England is frequented by two species.
164. F r in g il la ccelebs . . . . . . . . . . Vol. III. PI. XXXIV.
C h a f f in c h .
A bird o f general distribution over the three kingdoms; but Mr. Augustus Smith tells me that in the
Scilly Islands it only appears in winter.
165. F r in g il la m o n t ifr in g il l a . . . . . . . . . Vol. III. PI. XXXV.
B ramb le - F in c h .
A true winter visitant; gregarious. Arrives in autumn, probably from Norway and Lapland, where the
process of reproduction has been accomplished.
Genus C a r d u e l is .
A limited genus, o f which our beautiful Goldfinch is the type, and whose only associates are the
C. caniceps of the Himalayas and the C. orientalis o f Central India.
166. C a r d u e l is eleg a ns . . . . . . . . . . Vol. III. PI. XXXVI.
G o l d f in c h .
A resident species, common and almost universally distributed over the British Islands, and equally
plentiful on the neighbouring continent.
Genus C h r y som it r is .
O f this genus one species inhabits the Old World, and some seven o r eight are distributed over America,
from California to Chili.
167. C h r y som it r is s p in u s . . . . . . . . . . Vol. III. PI. XXXVII.
S is k in .
As regards this beautiful little bird, Scotland has the advantage over E ngland; for it regularly breeds there,
while with us it is a winter visitant; and in Ireland it is only seen a t that season.
Genus S e r in us.
A small group o f about three species, one of which, the Common Canary, is the type. They inhabit
Europe, Palestine, Madeira, and the Canary Islands.
168. S e r in u s h o r t u l a n u s ..................................................................................................Vol. p ^ XXXVIII.
S e r in F in c h .
Has been several times killed in England. Mr. Harting enumerates ten instances of its occurrence