t i e u B im r s c m o w s .
JGauleLiJLCM hter. d el et.Tiih.
LIGURINUS CHLORIS.
Greenfinch.
Loxia chloris, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 82.
FringiUa chloris, Temm. Man. d'Orn., 1815, p. 206 »
Ligurinus chloric, Koch, Baier. Zool, tom. i. p. 280.
Serinus chloris, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 555.
Coccothraustes'chloris, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. siv. p. 87.
Linaria chloris, Macgill. Hist, of Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 866.
Chlorospiza chloris, Bonap. Geog. & Comp. List of Birds of Eur. and N. Amer., p. 30.
CUoris pmetorum, hortmsis, et septentrionalis, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl., pp. 259, 260. 261, tab.
flavigaster, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p- 281.
T he Greenfinch is strictly indigenous in onr island. In winter it frequents the field., hedgerows, and.
woods, and, if the weather becomes severe and the ground carpeted with snow, assemble, in Hock»
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, Scotland,
and Ireland is so general that it would be superfluous to enumerate the localities in which it may
he 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; awl, according to the Rev. H. B. Tristram, it is abundant in all the gardens o f Southern
Palestine ( ‘ Ibis,' 1859, p. 33), is a very common winter visitant on the coasts, and abouuds especially
on Mount Carmel and on any wooded hills, but is rare in the interior, and disappears in the spring
( Oree^fincb " says Yam'll, “ is found in all the cultivated parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland,
■ ' -.I,:,.. western and northern islands of the latter country. It is included
except« us stated by I
among the bird* ot 1
in Sweden in winter t
found even as far as
numerous at Smyrna.
1864, p. 51). and L
Santa Maura, and C»r
( ‘Ibis,’ 1860, p. 138;
it frequents the tops oi
and von Homeyer ree<
in Europe. It do*> m
China. In Japan the*
iJt-ymarks and Swede», htrt, according to M. Nilsson, is more numerous
The Greenfinch, as i
and interesting bird,
outspread wing* and tail, freqa
or branch, uttering all the whi
wings shows very conspicuous
contrast to the olive colouring >
the garden and shrubbery, bn
male may be seen in the monn
note, and performing his long
gregate in large flocks, feeding
nightfall to the vicinity of the pi;
It is abundant in all the countries of Southern Europe, and is
Math-eastern direction it was observed by Mr. Strickland to be
tlmt it is very common in flocks during winter at Malta (‘ Ibis,’
Lieut. S'lerlirtg' that it is resident and very numerous in Corfu,
collects in flocks on the north coast of the Mediterranean
that in the neighbourhood of Pisa, in Italy,
gie and Cascioe roads (* Ibis,’ 1865, p. 57)}
' that it occurs in the Balearic Isles just as
rated in the lists of the birds of Amoorland or
864, .p. 280). Dr. Gig Hob oh
he white poplars which line thi
Is, in the * Journal fur Oriiitb
extend to India j neither is it ......-----------
are two nearly allied but quite distinct species.
eu in our gardens during the month of April or at the time of patriwg, is a very joyous
I I,t nude then displays'himself to the greatest advantage, rising it, the air with
, frequently turning and pirouetting, as it were, and returning to the same tree
he while its loud ringing whittle. Daring flight, the silvery under surface of the
neuousiy, and the fine yellow markings of th e . upper surface preseut a strong
■’ ,he body. “ When paired." says Sir William Jardine, “ they resort to
1 in the various cover which is there afforded; and at this time the
., rising with slow or heavy strokes of the wing, uttering bis simple
'tiding flight peculiar to the season of love. During winter they con-
on various small seeds on the stubble-ground, and resorting towards
tations or evergreens surrounding some mansion, flying for a time around
and clustering before taking up their roust on the tup of some bare tree. Their sleep,ng-place ,s returned
to night after night throughout the winter; and the flock may be seen taking up the perches ,0 the same
hushes with great regularity." Thompson, after remarking that the above account ,» m
with bis observation on the favourite haunts of the Greenfinch, to winch alone they will strictly apply adds .
—“ By the plantation of shrubberies I have known this handsome bird to be attracted to, and soon become
plentiful in a rather wild.district near Belfast, from which it had previously been absent, the Portugal laurel
(Prurns Lmitanica), with its dense foliage, being its favounte resort.