Genus FRINGILLA.

3 :

Gry. Cnar. Bill concave, longer than deep, straight, and pointed ; cutting edges entire, and
forming a straight commissure. _Nostrils basal, lateral, oval, partly hidden by the frontal
plumes. Tail slightly forked. Legs having the tarsi of mean length, with the toes divided

and adapted for hopping or perching. Claws sharp.

CHAFFINCH.

Fringilla Ceelebs, Lenn.

Le Gros-bee pinson.

Tuis ornamental Finch is so well known to all persons whose attention has been directed to the habits of our
native birds, that we doubt whether we can offer any novelty relative to its history. It appears to be very
generally distributed over every portion of Europe, in most parts of which it is stationary. ‘‘ All the
ornithologists,” says Mr. Selby, ‘‘ describe this species as permanently resident with us, and nowhere subject
to that separation of the sexes, and the consequent equatorial movement of the females, which is known to
take place in Sweden and other northern countries. The fact, however, is otherwise, as the experience of a
series of years has evinced that these birds, in a general point of view, obey the same natural law in the
North of England. In Northumberland and Scotland this separation takes place about the month of No-
vember, and from that period till the return of spring few females are to be seen, and those few always in
distinct societies. The males remain, and are met with, during the winter, in immense flocks, feeding with
other granivorous birds in the stubble lands, as long as the weather continues mild, and the ground free from
snow ; and resorting, upon the approach of storm, to farm-yards, and other places of refuge and supply.”
The remarks which we have quoted from Mr. Selby will apply to the habits and manners of this bird in the
South of England. We have observed that during autumn and the early parts of spring our gardens and
orchards are comparatively deserted by this handsome bird, and that it must then be sought for in the wide
fields and hedge-rows, far removed from our immediate precincts. It pairs early in the spring, and again
returns to enliven our gardens and orchards by its simple song and sprightly actions, when the work of nidi-
fication is soon commenced. ‘The nest is of the neatest construction, being outwardly composed of the most
delicate lichens, (generally obtained from the apple-tree,) interwoven with wool, and lined with feathers and
fine hair ; it is placed in various situations, such as the branch of an apple-tree, the whitethorn, or any other
shrub or tree whose foliage affords it a sufficient shelter to protect the eggs, which are four or five in number,
of a pinky white spotted with reddish purple.

The food of the Chaffinch is of a mixed nature, feeding in winter on grains and seeds, and in summer on
most species of insects and their larvae, which it devours with avidity.

The sexes, as is the case with most of the true Finches, offer a contrasted difference in their colouring ;
neither can the beautiful spring plumage remain unobserved, when compared with the sober livery of winter.

The male in spring has the bill of a fine blue grey ; the crown of the head and nape rich grey ; the centre
of the back chestnut ; rump greenish yellow ; lesser wing-coverts white ; quills black, edged with yellowish
white; two middle tail-feathers grey, tinged with olive ; three next, on each side, entirely black ; the outer
ones with a large white spot on their inner webs ; the cheeks, neck, throat, and under surface chestnut brown ;
lower part of the belly and vent white ; legs and feet brown. In the female the whole of the upper surface
is olive brown, becoming richer on the upper tail-coverts ; cheeks, throat, and under surface greyish brown ;
vent and under tail-coverts white; the wings and tail as in the male, but the white marks less distinct.

The young males in autumn resemble the females.

Our Plate represents the birds in their spring plumage, although we must acknowledge our inability to do
justice to the rich and harmonious tints which pervade the feathers of the living bird, and which afford so much
attraction and ornament to our lawns and shrubberies.