Page:VCH Essex 1.djvu/278

A HISTORY OF ESSEX 58. Spotted Flycatcher. Muscicapa grisola, Linn. A fairly common summer visitor. 59. Swallow. Hirundo rustica, Linn. An abundant summer visitor. 60. House-Martin. CheKdon urb'ua (Linn.). As the last-named. 61. Sand-Martin. Cotile riparia (Linn.). A very common summer visitor wherever sandy banks suited to its nesting requirements exist. 62. Greenfinch. Ligurinus Moris (Linn.). Everywhere an abundant resident. 63. Hawfinch. Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pallas. A resident and fairly common, though not very often seen, owing to its shyness. It breeds occasionally, I believe, in nearly all parts of the county, and is certainly increas- ing in numbers. Epping Forest has long been known as a stronghold of the species. 64. Goldfinch. Carduelis elegans, Stephens. A resident, but local, uncommon, and cer- tainly decreasing in numbers, owing to the efforts of bird-catchers. 65. Siskin. Carduelis spinus (Linn.). A regular winter visitor, occasionally in some numbers, but generally uncommon. [Serin Finch. Serinus hortulanus, Koch. There is reason to believe (see Zoologist, 1889, p. 29) that this rare visitor to Britain has been taken in the county, but no in- dividual has been, as yet, identified satisfac- torily.] 66. House-Sparrow. Passer domesticus (Linn.). Everywhere too abundant. 67. Tree-Sparrow. Passer montanus (Linn.). A resident, breeding sparingly in some parts of the county, especially the south- western portion. In winter it is often common, owing to arrivals from elsewhere. 68. Chaffinch. Fringilla Calebs, Linn. An abundant resident. 69. Brambling. Fringilla montifringilla, Linn. A winter visitor, generally uncommon, but often fairly numerous during severe weather. 70. Linnet. Linota cannabina (Linn.). An abundant resident, especially near the coast. 71. Mealy Redpoll. Linota linaria (Linn.). An irregular and uncommon winter visitor. Linota rufescens (Vieil- 72. Lesser Redpoll. lot). A common winter visitor, especially nu- merous round the coast : less common, appar- ently, than formerly. It breeds in the county occasionally, though not, I believe, with any regularity. 73. Twite. Linota fla virostris (Linn.). A common winter visitor to our coast, where it is often to be seen in company with redpolls and linnets. 74. Bullfinch. Pyrrhula europaa, Vieillot. A fairly common resident, most often seen in winter : certainly becoming more numer- ous, especially among the uncultivated lands in Dengie Hundred. 75. Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra, Linn. An irregular and uncertain visitor, appear- ing usually in late summer or winter : some- times common. It has bred in the county not very infrequently. 76. Parrot Crossbill. Bechstein. Loxia pityopsittacus, A rare visitor, though no fewer than nine examples are recorded from our county a pair at Saffron Walden about 1823 ; one in Epping Forest in 1835 ; three at Lamborne on September 21, 1861 ; and three at Col- chester in 1862 (see Birds of Essex, p. 126). In my opinion this is merely a sub-specific form. 77. Two-barred Crossbill. Loxia bifasciata (Brehm). A very rare straggler which has twice occurred in the county at Epping in or about 1846, and at Dedham in 1866 (see Birds of Essex, p. 126). 78. Corn-Bunting. Emberiza miliaria, Linn. A resident, but local, uncommon, and certainly decreasing in numbers. 79 Yellow Hammer. Emberiza citrinella, Linn. Everywhere an abundant resident. 240