MO U N T A IN OR B R AM B L E FINCH.
Fringilla montifringilla, Linn.
Le Gros-bec d’Ardennes.
This species „f Finch ,s dispersed considerable abundance throughout every country in Europe and as its
pec,lie name implies prefera high and mouuteindus districts. In man/parts rf the Tt ft
stationary, while in others is strictly migratory. In the British Islands the winter season alone is the
aonroa h 1 ™,tS- t * 9 R f 1 “P1™ 1 'be I °f approach of spring. During summer ,t dwells and incubates in those‘ bexe tean“s'iav“e afo- raesatds oHf fir a nSTnMme wi h Iich
abound ,n al high northern latitudes. Although few seasons pass without the presence of this eLant bird
m the central portions of our .sland, nevertheless it must have been remarked that at certain periods it makes
,ts appearance m some of our woods and stubble-lands i„ fiocks, often associating with Chaffinches and other
gramvorous birds ,u innumerable quantities. As to situation, they appear e L e a decided pTefereuce 'o
oods of beech on the mast of wh,ch they for a time subsist, feeding also on various seeds and the shoots of
the ■ ■ r“ embl,1”S I *bls and many °ther resPects the Chaffinch H N M l Linn.) and like
Ae latter is equally typical m form I and for beauty and elegance it is not surpassed by any other of its genuT
Although ,t ,sv e^ probable that a limited number of this species remain to breed in the northern parts of
Scotland ye, we have never heen able to verify the fact. I, is said incubate in forests of l„ft"7ne and
spruce, he nest bemg composed of moss and wool, lined with feathers and hair. The eggs are white spotted
with yellowish .brown, four or five in number. »SS» are wmte, spotted.
In the general style of colouring the two sexes are similar; the male, however, for surpasses his mate in
the richness and contrast of his plumage. In summer the male is adorned with a different dress from that of
winter, that portion of the plumage which is then brown being exchanged for black during the spring and
Bth^e twBo season s, Bboth sexesb hi,radv ling ‘ bbeee Bn takenf imml ed Pialatetely I bBeforef t3h eSitra ‘dee p°fa rPt1u“r“e3^ ¡-termediate behreen
tipped ■ ■ ■ R B R aape- and upper par‘ of W H black, each feather being edged and
tipped with yellowish brown; scapulanes barred across the centre of the wing with white- edges of the
secondaries, throat, and chest bright ferruginous brown; rump and vent white; primaries black e to d ^ h
yellowish red; bill black at the tip, yellow a, the base; Idgs brown; irides hazel. " B
and M genera' “ arkiDSS a"d C0l°“re of tbe alale' b“‘ in every respect much more obscure
The Plate represents an adult male and female of the natural size.