less concealed by hair-like feathers at the base of the bill, directed forwards.
Peet with the tarsus shorter than the middle toe : toesi three before, one behind,
divided. Wings rather short; the first qtrifl shorter than-the third,
which is of the same length-as the fourth, and the longest in the wing.
T h e B u l l f in c h is too common a-bird net to be exceed-
ingly well known, and is found in most parts of England, but
particularly those which are wooded and cultivated;-preferring
gardens, orchards, hedgerows, plantations* and small woods,
to bleak and exposed,.tracks of common, waste* or moor^S It
-is rather-shy- and retiring in its habits, and is Seldom seen
associated with any but its, own species*. In confinement this r
bird appears to have an extraordinary appetite; and at large
is found to -be particularly destructive, in gardens throughout"'?
the jspring of the year, devouring the' fio'wpr buds ofHheëvad
rious sorts of gooseberries, cherries, and plpmsvin ?i|ecs6ssion,
to such an extent,_ as to destroy r df unm.®|esTed, all prospect
of any crop of4 fruit-for thah-geason.^ ^he- author of thé-
Joiirnal of a N a tu r a lis t,'s a y s ,In all" instances I think it
will be observed,, t-hat-such buds "as. produce lUayeSiOnly.arc^
rejected, and those~which contain the embryo^bf thërfutwer
blossom selected: by this, procedure,;-'though the tree is pre-
vented drom producing fruilr,, yet--the foltageaS expanded •as -
usual; but had the le p ^ ^ ^ th e lungs of the plant-^éë&(jm-v
discriminately consumed, the tree would probably have du&H
_c* ife summer grÖsvlhnbéén materiajlyjnjurëd ; jKè-may th ië j
lose our fruit this year, yet the tree survives*, and hopndivesr
too, that we maybe more fortunate fhenexj.’V .MarSelby,
in the first Volume ofithe Naturalist rem a rk s*W ith ’me (the?
Bullfinches are- very, destructive, particularly to . the plum
trees* applet medlars', &e. Itds-the -blossom buds that are
chiefly preferred. I have*, dissected^dogeps of these~|?irds,
and have never found any remains;, of insects in the' crop on
stomach. They are#here very numerous, -being fostered by
the èxtensiy%;plantations I have, made; . and I amrobljged,,.’
reluctantly I must say, to make war on them every spring.”
From various authorities it appears that the Bullfinch is a
more decided bud-destroyer than any other British Bird. In
winter it feeds on hips, the Fruit of the' dog-rose, berries, and
seeds. Towards the end of April this bird leaves the gardens
for more secluded situations, and begins with its mate
to -seek a place of security for its nest. Being rather a late
breeder, itlseldom begins to build till the beginning of May,
'and produces: but one brood -in the season. The nest is
formed of small twigs, and lined with fibrous roots, the materials
not very compactly entwined together, and usually
placed, four o^fivevf&et afeOVe the ground, oh a branch of a
_fir$teaV' or J n a thick .busk,. The eggs 'are four er five in
number^ ofia pale blue, speckled and streaked with purplish
grey and dark purple. * siThese are hatched towards the end
May,Rafter fifteen days’ incubation. The .shy .'and retiring-
hpbits-of the Bullfinch have been already referred do, and it
that a slight provocation will in general cause it to
» s t i l t s n e s ^ |^ ^ -MF.'H.'R. ''Read, Esq."of Frickley Hall
ini Yorkshire, has "recorded in*ithe%Naturalist that in the early :
Hpart-OhJuhe 188,8', a Bullfinch allowed herself to be caressed
w.lSiOf-sitting on h er young ones-, and would feed from the
hand .^khophthe.'Ihastifear:- The nesttwas in a laurel-hush,
& s e .tqi- th e -fh h u i^ ' Mr. Neville Wood has recorded the
finding1 of an em? of the Bullfinch on the ground in Yorkshire
sod^tetas the 15th cfNbvember^ |
.-’The young birds of the year continue to associate with the
p^ents through/* the autumn and winter Jill the pairing time
MtheVfollQwing spring; and ^«onstant is the attachment of-
adult; birds- throughout the year, that- theyiare’ believed, like’
some?atheV^Species,,among:.birds, to pair for lifk The Bull-'
finch will';brfebd1 inheonfinement, particularly in aviaries where
thmecist-ASufficieht ispite. Hybrixls, or mules* as they are
more commonly called,, have been produced between the
b 2