PINICOLA ENUCLEATOR. Pine-Grosbeak. Lowia enucleator, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 81. psittacea, Pall. Zoog. Ross.-Asiat., tom. ii. p. 5. Fringilla enucleator, Temm. Man. d’Orn., p. 198. Pyrrhula enucleator, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 2nd edit. tom. i. p. 333. Pinicola, Vieill. Ois. d’Amér. Sept., tom. i. p. 4. Strobilophaga enucleator, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. ix. p. 609 Corythus enucleator, Cuv. Régn. Anim., edit. 1816, tom. i. p. 415. a Pyrrhula (Corythus) enucleator, Keys. & Blas. Wirbelth. Eur., p. 40. \ Pinicola enucleator, Cab. in Ersch u. Grub. Encyel., 1st sect. vol. 50, p. 219 Are there any among the writers upon ive bi 2 our native 7e i 7 aa P 4 e ee ; 3 C birds who have seen the Pine-Grosbeak in a state of nature ? ree nk not. ennant, it 1s true, states thé c 1 i P : .. Pe , ets at he saw a small flock flying about in the forest of Inver- eauld; but as } oes not appear that he obtained a specimen, I am inclined to believe that he was deceived as to the species, and mistook Crossbills for Pine-Grosbeaks. Messrs. C. J. and James Paget mention, in their ‘ Natural History of Yarmouth,’ the ight was seen i ) ‘ : i. eo A g a that/a fight was seen in November 1822, on the Denes,—a very unlikely . o see es rosbeaks ; and as no specimen was obtained, I must be allowed respectfully to doubt the act. Iquestion if Montagu, Gi Vhi Tarr : rilliv so : q agu, Gilbert W hite, Selby, Yarrell, or Macgillivray ever sawa living example ; neither have I, who have travelled far and wide, with an eye always attentive to the appearance of any bird strange ° . . 5 : 5 tome. Mr. Ryland, in his ‘ Catalogue of the Birds of Lancashire,’ includes the Pine-Grosbeak as having been obtained in Hulstone fir trees, on the authority of T. K. Glazebrook, Esq. 5 “ and a female in my own collection,” 2 says Yarrell, ‘‘ was shot some years ago at Harrow-on-the-Hill.” These assertions are a little more tangible : ; : : 5 ’ but still to me doubtful. Mr. Stevenson, in the first volume of his ‘ Birds of Norfolk,’ repeats the account of the flight seen on the Denes, in 1822, and the statement in the ‘ Zoologist,’ p. 1318, that a pair were shot in Raveningham in the act of building. Mr. Lubbock also states that a pair were preserved in Yarmouth, which had been shot near that city; but as these, according to Mr. Stevenson, are no longer in existence, there remains no proof that the species was actually killed there. I would not for a moment have it inferred that the bird has no claim to be admitted into the avifauna of Great Brit That it has now and then visited us is certain ; and that it will continue to do so occa- 4 mere strait of sea, as compared with the ain; at the same time, I consider it is but an indifferent one. sionally is more than probable, particularly when we remember that Atlantic, separates our island from the bird’s natural home. If we pay a visit to the great primeval forests of Norway, Lapland, Finland, and Russia, we shall, with the aid of a little patience, be able to view this true pine-loving bird in its native haunts, and by diligent search find its nest and have an opportunity of observing its curious and interesting habits. Mr. Wolley made himself as much acquainted with them as circumstances would admit, as did also Mr. Wheelwright. From the writings of both of these gentlemen (who, unhappily, now only live in our memory) I shall make such extracts as bear upon the present subject. Those who have read the foregoing lines w s, and that its true home nhabits Northern and Arctic America ; but latterly, and I European, and the name of Canadensis, ill have gleaned that the bird is only an accidental or very occasional visitor to these island is the northern part of the adjoining continent. Most authors have affirmed that it also j think rightly, the American bird has been regarded as distit s long ago as 1760, reinstated. Sweden and Lapland ; h more slender differences, six generic terms have been applied ; of these, more recent contemporaries, ict from the The American birds are always much larger proposed for it by Brisson a in every respect than those inbabiting but in colour they are very similar. As, how- ever, species are often instituted upon muc n members of a form to which at least and I have therefore, like some of my they may be regarded as distinct. They are the only know Pinicola appears to be the oldest ; adopted it. « The following quotations,’ are greatly indebted for having so persevernl ‘The Pine-Grosbeak, though plet and, generally speaking, ell as in Finnish Lapland, ing the winter months, and on one occasiol ground, which he had no ” says Mr. Hewitson, ‘‘are from the pen of Mr. Wolley, igly traced out and brou itiful in Sweden during the winter, of this species :— this is probably true ; go to the East for the breeding-season 5 and eastern part of Swedish Lapland, as w “Mr. Wolley made frequent excursions dur ch in the ensuing spring, which to guide his sear ix feet above the Turtledove, in a young fir tree, S to whom naturalists ght home the previously unknown eggs has been supposed to but in the northern a few Pine-Grosbeaks make their nests.’ in the hope of finding old nests by 1 found a nest very like that of the doubt belonged to this species.