g bird there which certainly could not have
been long out of the nest. I have never seen the Cirl Bunting in any of
the Islands, nor has it, as far as I know, been recorded from them,
which seems rather surprising, as it is common on the South Coast of
Devon, and migratory, but not numerous, on the North Coast of
France;[12] so it is very probable that it may yet occur.

The Yellow Hammer is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are also a pair in the Museum.

62. CHAFFINCH. _Fringilla caelebs_, Linnaeus. French, "Pinson
ordinaire," "Grosbec pinson."--- The Chaffinch is resident, tolerably
common, and generally distributed throughout the Islands, but is nowhere
so common as in England. In Guernsey this year, 1878, it seemed to me
rather to have decreased in numbers, as I saw very few,--certainly not
so many as in former years,--though I could not find that there was any
reason for the decrease.

It is, of course, mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, but by him only
marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is only one--a
female--at present in the Museum.

63. BRAMBLING. _Fringilla montifringilla_, Linnaeus. French, "Pinson
d'Ardennes." "Grosbec d'Ardennes."--The Brambling can only be considered
an occasional autumn and winter visitant, and probably never very
numerous. I have never seen the bird in the Channel Islands myself. I
have, however, one specimen--a female--killed in Brock Road, Guernsey,
in December, 1878, and I have been informed by Mr. MacCulloch that he
had a note of the occurrence of the Brambling or Mountain Finch in
January, 1855. It cannot, however, be looked upon as anything more than
a very rare occasional straggler, by no means occurring every year.

It is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in
Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.

64. TREE SPARROW. _Passer montanus_, Linnaeus. French, "Friquet."--The
Tree Sparrow breeds, and is probably resident in the Islands. Up to this
year, 1878, I have only seen it once myself, and that was on the 7th of
June, 1876, just outside the grounds of the Vallon in Guernsey. From the
date and from the behaviour of the bird I have no doubt it had a nest
just inside the grounds. I could not then, however, make any great
search for the nest without trespassing, though I got sufficiently near
the bird to be certain of its identity. This year, 1878, I