C H A F F I N C H .
F r in g i l l a C a le b Sj fL ù u u :)
Genus ' M U N G It
i-v-il'f* C h au . Bill concave, longer than deep, straight,, ,utd pointed ■ cutt
.forBBDg It straight commissar«. lateral, oval, tiiirtlv ■
plumes. Tail slightly forked, legs fearing thè tarsi of mean length,
and adapted'for hopping or perching. Òam sharp.
C Jti;. _J|. ;Ü ■ ' f ? \ i ' 1:1
h e Gmsrth^c
T h is ornamentaf F inch is. so well fcttown r,o titf 'frfrr- t j . , - . - u , i >
uaait'e hirds, th a t we doubt n^either wc cn*; <#*» nt* it*« * n
geaerally diafcHbi u e v e r every p o r tto a . of E u ro p e . tu »»«tty p „ r“ . 0$ is ¡.:;;i •:, •/ “ V
orDithoJ^ista,*’ say«. M r. Selby, **■ d g g e rite s f e «ptofe#*» | j | wd i f lM f e ftIjflititT
to th a t sepa rat*«. »C «he : s j ^ | | * , .a - j J , . . > i K « M ^ ¡;f. 1 « is ki-own to
take place w .S m A a k - ju l « h e r w r * * m cuwiCri« i ‘,c fact, however, is ,a!-,« •«■«, m th e experience oi; ■
series of t e a rs hit* ew iw w m a t th e se birds, in a gene ral point o f view, obey th e » a n » natural, law in the
N o r th .of Eagtond. In Northumberland and Scotland this separation takes place uhcirj; th e month o f No-
vent her, an d front th a t period till th e Kam o f ipriag- few iemales are to be seer., 3« tin s,, few always ¡a,
d istia e t societies. T h e males remain, an d a re niet ivitit, d u rin g th e winter, ip immense docks, feeding wir.h
o th e r gra atvonwa biros in th e shibMe kinds, as ioeg as th e we ather continues m ild , an d th e grb n n d f e e from
sn ow ; and re sorting, npon th e i i p | j | i l § o f storm, to icrm-yarik, and o th e r places o f refuge and supply.”
I.h e remarks which we have quoted from-Mr. Selby will apply to th e habits an d manners o f th is bird in th e
8 o u ih o f England. W e have, observed th a t d u rin g autumn and th e early p a r ts o f spring our gardens and
orchards a re .comparatively dese rted by ibis handsome bird, and th a t it m o st th en be sought for in th e wide
fields and hedge-rows, for removed from o u r immediate precincts. I t pairs early in the spring, and again
re turns to enliven o u r gardens an d orchards by its simple song aiid sprightly actions, wheii the work o f n»di-
fication is-sopa. ebmmence'd. The n est is o f he oeh|esfc, f ä | | § | § on, being outiyard; # j , ; . ,f •.| , . „
delicate lichens, agency»!;, obtained from th e apple -tree ,) interwoven with wool, ami lined with fe;wh:'.*'< v. -
fine h a i r ; it is placed r-n various situations, such a» th e branch o f an apple-tree, th e whitethorn, o r my
sh ru b o r tre e whose sßords k a sufficient sh e lte r to protect t he es|gs, which are four o r v * --m- : •
.of a pinky white spottutl- o 'iih■ reddish purple.
^ .1 l o c o o f i c f ( »f a m ix e d - n a t u r e , .... 0 l(
m o s t s p e c ie s o f in s e c t s imJ tim - lasVn « h ie l t i» dtrvotws uh a v id i iy .
" Th:= « b « . * * • « * Krtb IW»* of 1** ttjic Racket, o f e a contrasted dW t« * * in dwtr colouring ,
neither can the beautiful spring plumage reiiwiir. vsiobserved, when beistftared w 1:1: : ; liven’ . H
Xbe male in spring has (be bill; of a i t* blue grey , dm wow* o f the t e i l and oat* rich s m s th e centre
of tbe back chestnut; rump greenish yellow ; lesser iving-coverh white : quiljs Mack, : igeii with yellowish
white; two middle tail-feather» grey, tinged wist olive'; three next; m i each side, ¿istlrely hlaci ; t! outer
ones with a large white spot on their inner webs ; the checks, neck, throaf, and under surface chestnut brown ;
lower part o f the belly and vent white ; legs and feet brown. In the female tbe whole-of the upper surihca
is oBve brown, becoming richer on the upper tail-coverts ; checks, throat, and under surface greyish Mown ;
vent and under tail-coverts while; the wings and tail as in the male, but the white marks less iSistinä.
The young males in .’.murun resemble the females.
Our Plate represents th e birds in th e ir s p r in g p lum a g e , a lth o u g h we must a c k n o w le d g e o ttr t im b ility t o & ,
justice t o th e r ic h a n d h a rm o n io u s t in t s w h ic h p e r v a d e th e fe a th e r s o f th e living b ird , an d which ilijfen! . j „ ,t k
attraction and o rn am e n t to our law n s a u d s lm tb b e r ic s .