H A ¥ f IM X J tt.
Coccothraustes vulgaris ; ¿8rtâ:J.
Genus COCCOTHRAUSTES, Brits.
(Jbh. Chab. Beah v ery stout, swollen, thick ; the u p p tr m cm libb straight, entire.
HAWF INCH.
Coccothraustes vulgaris, liriss.
1 .e Gros-bec,
T h e Hawfinch appears to have an estensive nuige through the ...-.nitrir-- of Europe cuicei.iilv its midland
districts. In the.British Isles it has wuil lately been regardai ss .. ì,.,,t o f considerable' rarity, aul.principnl'.v
as a winter visitor. O f ht te years it has certainly beer, more common, attd wo arc in e iiw j't» n that
this will he found to snpjv.rt an »pmlttnjivc haw long «¡neitì fanned, that certain birds which hawc for a
number, o f yearn been scarce, suddenly become mmveroo and n n t iW so for tin indefinite period, when
they again retire ami ant as scarni as hrlii". 1: is e a t in tin: prevent bini alone that we huvc observed vili-
singular pha-ntBBHttou ; we may m«a*re Ir* 'iwwpbi. the li.,i,f t* , o f which the B ia ck -taM aperies, a few
years ago, r as so ali.twlau 1 4 i o ’ *, o o o , « mtirdv tcujusiude:the BaMatlcd, which ha* «Ini i i |u
the plat» o f the former, «V ,a s .i* .o ,o r,seed « e n d Mr." Henry DouMedny, of Epping, has .by his ardent
research in British C.làiïihù|;;,jji h * « . t e n e r acquainted with the history o f this bird than liny other persoti.
"T h e Hawfinch," .»•„Hr, " i s m Migratory, hud remains with us during the whole 6f tke w a r : ” and he
assigns as a reason for its not Fitting more frequently discovered,-the Ibct of " its shy and rçtirisg.fiçbvW leading
it to choose the most secluded pliicits io the thickest and mote remote parts o f woods and tiwest-n ten’
distarheii, it inrariahly perches on ll.it rapinovi branch of the highest tree in the urigbbwahood;" t:,,, ;.,;
Forest, where Mr. OonMeday du..».- n 1 it breeding in considerable abttudance, aflunls, from its solitude, i
place a t once congenial to its bant; - and retiring chspossfvou. .
We have known the Hawfinch to brad «W in d « * , and a few other places; lint certainly nowhere so
tdraidant as on the estate of ICWeftt, Esq., at H*dfc»t near I’enshurst, Kent, wl.o lately informed ns that
he has, with the aid o f a small telosqape, counted ejgiisren at one time, on his lawn. M. TenimihcK informs
ns that it evinces a partiality‘to tnOmitiinous districa, and that, it is a bird o f 'periòdica! postage in France,
bat -irregularly‘so in Holland.
Its food consiste of bernes, vceife, and the kernels o f stone-fruits, for the breaking o f which its stroBg beak
aaid the powerful muscles the jaw« are expressly adapted. I» winter, its principal smbsistence a the Him-,
whence its common
According to .Mr. Doubk-day, thin breeds 1« *% a n d June: in some uwcjwhn* b faoshy tree* nt ikt
height of jfito or ri» foci, and in otto** mmt the "0 im, as ito M ^srijejty « r th'aey fcs
nest is remarkably sfihlktfv- «ad carefmH r a t toiVfet-;. ¿.gv;-,. • , .
paytnesii òf construction ; ir fc- &«m*d of utivi»» fcHfrrjwnWbif *«*«..
bark o f trees, and is loosely fiend • ito» mm« cV<t:^ fatyr ilk ,vtt i&,
white, varying in intensity, spotted «rfffrtotd twwn.
The young b ir d s before the modi, c&hibh i jn iw d w i t e le É .... ,, -1-..,-*.-,,•1 ;ii*- ■ -;- f ... f
cheeks and head being of a «hill yellowish jr^h the ntriftif- Wtow* •(♦'buss tb*i -Saaks nm&xfwilh sinal!
streaks'of brown, and the getterei plumage ot the qiper parto being *poU«A with dirty vefiow.
In the -male, the beak and feet in winter are r»f a delicate flesh brow tv, the former becoming in summer
à d e a r leaded blue, the ends «t^w-colour, and in some instances white \ the top of the head, th e ehéekjî and
rump of a chestnut brown ç a norrow circle round the beak; anda broad tltò throat are SSE®f lw
0 * * ash-coloured ; nomile and; sluudders deep brown: the tpiili* nod secondaries, which lattes«
to i f cut off abruptly at their ends, are o f a rieep black with purple and <>.■*.* reflections , most • > ài • irrratw
and tlie last row of the lesser wing-ooverte are so as to produce a large central mark ; iha muirr u ii
feathers are blackish-brown, the middle one# wÈiteon their outer and broM'n'ou then- ianci- . 1 ! .. |4
|»irts o f a light -rinous red.
The temale has the plumage of a paler hue, tue white of the wing k in g mon; ,!aH, ! è . ti ci-.y jjs,.;.,
ami the under porta lesa pure.
We hare figured s male mtd fondale o f tbàr tafoml