Professor Ansted includes the Goldfinch in his list, but marks it as occurring only in Guernsey and Sark.  There is no specimen in the Museum.

69.  SISKIN. Carduelis spinus, Linnaeus.  French, “Tarin,” “Grosbec tarin.”—­The Siskin can only be looked upon as an occasional, accidental visitant—­indeed, I only know of one instance of its occurrence, and that is recorded by Mr. Couch at p. 4296 of the ‘Zoologist’ for 1875 in the following words:—­“I have the first recognised specimen of the Siskin; a boy knocked it down with a stone in an orchard at the Vrangue in September.”  This communication is dated November, 1874.  I have never seen the Siskin in any of the Channel Islands myself, and Mr. MacCulloch writes me word—­“I have never heard of a Siskin here, but, being migratory, it may occur.”  I see, however, no reason to doubt Mr. Couch’s statement in the ‘Zoologist,’ as the bird was brought into his shop.  He must have had plenty of opportunity of identifying it, though he does not tell us whether he preserved it.  There can, however, be no possible reason why the Siskin should not occasionally visit Guernsey on migration, as it extends its southern journey through Spain to the Mediterranean and across to the North-western Coast of Africa; and the Channel Islands would seem to lie directly in its way.

The Siskin, however, is not mentioned in Professor Ansted’s list, and there is no specimen at present in the Museum.

70.  LINNET. Linota cannabina, Linnaeus.  French, “Linotte,” “Grosbec linotte.”—­The Linnet is resident and the most numerous bird in the Islands by far, outnumbering even the House Sparrow, and it is equally common and breeds in all the Islands.  The Channel Islands Linnets always appear to me extremely bright-coloured, the scarlet on the head and breast during the breeding-season being brighter than in any British birds I have ever seen.  Though the Linnet is itself so numerous, it is, as far as I have been able to ascertain, the only representative of its family to be found in the Channel Islands; at least I have never seen and had no information of the occurrence of either the Lesser Redpole, the Mealy Redpole, or the Twite, though I can see no reason why each of these birds should not occasionally occur.

The Linnet is included in Professor Ansted’s list, but marked by him as only occurring in Guernsey and Sark; and there is a specimen in the Museum.

71.  BULLFINCH. Pyrrhula europaea, Vieillot.  French, “Bovreuil commun.”—­Miss C.B.  Carey, in the ‘Zoologist’ for 1874, mentions a Bullfinch having been brought into Couch’s shop in November of that year, and adds—­“This bird is much more common in Jersey than it is here.”  Miss Carey is certainly right as to its not being common in Guernsey, as I have never seen the bird on any of my expeditions to that Island, nor have I seen it in either of the other Islands which come within my district.