BIRDS bably still occasionally breeds in a few places with regularity. Those places in which coni- ferous trees abound are chiefly favoured by it during its sojourn in Surrey and from these come most of the records of its visits and all the notices of its nest. It may be regarded as a winter visitor which shows no decrease in numbers and as one of the rarest birds which can claim the term of ' resident.' 77. Parrot - Crossbill. Loxia pityopsittacus, Bechstein. This northern form of dubious specific identity appears to have been noticed in Surrey upon two occasions (Bucknill, p. 122). 78. Two-barred Crossbill. Loxia bifasciata (Brehm). A very rare visitor to the county, from which it has been recorded on some six occasions (Bucinill, pp. 123-125). 79- Corn-Bunting. Emberiza mi/iaria, Linn. A fairly common resident, pretty generally distributed throughout the county, and al- though not abundant may be found on several of the metropolitan commons. 80. Yellow Hammer. Emberiza citrinella, Linn. A very common resident, packing in winter with other finches in large flocks. Often known in Surrey as the ' writing ' or ' scrib- bling-lark.' 8 1. Cirl Bunting. Emberiza cirlus, Linn. A resident, and probably as common in Surrey as in any other part of England. It is rather local in its distribution, but may be found on all the high chalk ranges of hills in fair numbers. It is however only in com- paratively recent years that it has been re- cognized in this county as other than a somewhat rare species. Modern observers have however recorded it on many occasions, and its nest has been repeatedly discovered. It is probably one of those few species which is somewhat increasing in numbers. 82. Ortolan Bunting. Linn. Emberiza hortulana. There is a male in the Charterhouse collec- tion which is stated to have been shot at Godalming. It is the only definite record to which Surrey can lay claim, and it is quite possible that it may have escaped from cap- tivity (Bucknill, pp. 130, 131). 83. Reed - Bunting. Emberiza schaeniclus, Linn. A fairly common resident, usually, although not always, frequenting the neighbourhood of water during the nesting season. In the winter it joins flocks of other finches and is then in no way local in its distribution. 84. Snow- Bunting. Plectrophenax nivalis (Linn.). A rare winter visitor. A few may occa- sionally visit the county in severe seasons, but its local records are rather scanty (Bucknill, P- 132). 85. Lapland Bunting. Calcarius lapponicus (Linn.). An extremely rare winter visitor to Surrey, having only been recorded on about half a dozen occasions (Bucknill, p. 133). 86. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. A common, well-known, useful and rapidly increasing resident. 87. Rose-coloured Starling. Pastor roseus (Linn.). An extremely rare straggler to the county, in which it has been recorded three or four times only (Bucknill, p. 70). 88. Chough. Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linn.). A very rare visitor, having been noticed four or five times. It may well be that all these recorded instances are merely escaped specimens (Bucknill, p. 70). 89. Nutcracker. Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linn.). A rare straggler, twice shot and also twice seen in Surrey, all prior to the year 1847 (Bucknill, pp. 71-73). 90. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.). A fairly abundant resident, and although much persecuted by gamekeepers manages, owing to its wariness, to more or less hold its own. 91. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli). Formerly a common enough resident, but has of late years decreased rapidly and is now quite scarce. Its diminution in numbers is mainly due to the increase of game preserva- tion and its consequent destruction by the keepers, who all regard it, with some justifica- tion, as a deadly foe. 92. Jackdaw. Corvus monedu/a, Linn. A common resident even in the suburban districts. In the rural districts it consorts largely with the rook. 93. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. Formerly, many years ago, a resident, but as such has long ceased to exist. Can now only be regarded as a very rare straggler, the last recorded example having occurred in 1895 209
