LIGURINUS CHLORIS. Greenfinch. Lowia chloris, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 82. Fringilla chloris, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 1815, p. 206. Ligurinus chloris, Koch, Baier. Zool., tom. i. p. 230. Serinus chloris, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 555. Coccothraustes chloris, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 87. Linaria chloris, Macgill. Hist. of Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 366. Chlorospiza chloris, Bonap. Geog. & Comp. List of Birds of Eur. and N. Amer., p. 30. Chloris pinetorum, hortensis, et septentrionalis, Brehm, Vig. Deutschl., pp. 259, 260, 261, tab. 17. fig. 1. flavigaster, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 281. ; Tue Greenfinch is strictly indigenous in our island. In winter it frequents the fields, hedgerows, and woods, and, if the weather becomes severe and the ground carpeted with snow, assembles in flocks round the farm-steadings and the immediate vicinity of houses. In spring and summer it is even still more familiar; for it then resorts to gardens and shrubberies, and often builds its nest and rears its young among the shrubs, even those close to the windows of our dwellings. Its dispersion over England, Scot- land, and Ireland is so general that it would be superfluous to enumerate the localities in which it may be observed. On the continent of Europe, from the shores of the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, it is just as numerous as in England; and in North Africa, as far as the Atlas range, it is equally plentiful. I have also a specimen in my collection (a little smaller in size, and rather more brightly coloured) from Erzeroum; and according to the Rev. H. B. Tristram, it is abundant in all the gardens of Southern Palestine (‘ Ibis,’ 1859, p. 33), is a very common winter visitant on the coasts, and abounds especially on Mount Carmel and on any wooded hills, but is rare in the interior, and disappears in the spring (‘ Ibis,’ 1868, p. 206). «The Greenfinch,” says Yarrell, ‘ is found in all the cultivated parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland, except, as stated by Macgillivray, the western and northern islands of the latter country. It is included among the birds of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, but, according to M. Nilsson, is more numerous in Sweden in winter than in summer. It is abundant in all the countries of Southern Europe, and is found even as far as Madeira. In a south-east ern direction it was observed by Mr. Strickland to be numerous at Smyrna.” Wright st 1864, p. 51), and Lord Lilford and Lieut. Sperling that it is resident and very numerous in Corfu, Santa Maura, and Greece, and in winter collects in flocks on the north coast of the Mediterrranean (‘ Ibis,’ 1860, p. 138; 1864, p. 280). Dr. Giglioli observes that, in the neighbourhood of Pisa, in Italy, it frequents the tops of the white poplars which line the Piaggie and Cascine roads (‘ Ibis,’ 1865, p. 57) ; the ‘Journal fir Ornithologie,’ that it occurs in the Balearic Isles just as and von Homeyer records, in in Europe. It does not extend to India; neither is it enumerated in the lists of the birds of Amoorland or China. In Japan there are two nearly allied but quite distinct species. gardens during the month of April or at the time of pairing, Is a very Joyous ates that it is very common in flocks during winter at Malta (‘ Ibis,’ The Greenfinch, as seen in our The male then displays himself to the greatest advantage, @, as it were, and returning to the same tree During flight, the silvery under surface of the and interesting bird. rising in the air with outspread wings and tail, frequently turning and pirouettin or branch, uttering all the while its loud ringing whistle. and the fine yellow markings of the upper ‘« When paired,” says Sir William Jardine, “they resort to covers which is there afforded ; and at this time the or heavy strokes of the wing, uttering his simple During winter they con- wings shows very conspicuously, surface present a strong contrast to the olive colouring of the body. the garden and_ shrubbery, breed in the various male may be seen in the morning, rising with slow flight peculiar to the season of love. note, and performing his long winding stubble-ground, and resorting towards gregate in large flocks, feeding on various small seeds on the nightfall to the vicinity of the plantations or evergreens ig up their roost on the top of some bar and the flock may be seen above account is in entire accordance surrounding some mansion, flying for a time around and clustering before takit e tree. Their sleeping-place is returned to night after night throughout the winter ; bushes with great regularity.” Thompson, after remarking that the . with his observation on the favourite haunts of the Greenfinch, to which alone they will strictly apply, adds : —‘* By the plantation of shrubberies I have known this handsome bird to be attracted to, and soon become ; ne “Ac ole heenanse » Portugal laure plentiful in a rather wild district near Belfast, from which it had previously been absent, the Portugal laurel (Prunus Lusitanica), with its dense foliage, taking up the perches in the same Cae ; being its favourite resort.