Class II. B U L F I N C H. 321 



will become ib tame as to come at call, perch on 

 its m.after's fhoulders, and (at command) go through 

 a difficult mufical lelTon. They may be taught to 

 fpeak, and fome thus inftruded are annually 

 brought to London from Germany, 



The male is diftinguilhed from the female by Descrip, 

 the fuperior black nefs of its crown, and by the rich 

 crimfon that adorns the cheeks, bread, belly, and 

 throat of the male ; thofe of the female being of 

 a dirty color : the bill is black, fhort, and very 

 thick : the head large : the hind part of the neck 

 and the back are grey : the coverts of the wings 

 are black ; the lower crofTed with a white line : the 

 quil-feathers dufky, but part of their inner webs 

 white : the coverts of the tail and vent feathers 

 white : the tail black. 



In the fpring thefe birds frequent our gardens, ' 



and are very deftrudlive to our fruit-trees, by 

 eating the tender buds. They breed about the 

 latter t\\^ of May^ or beginning of Jum^ and are 

 feldom feen at that time near houfes, as they chufe 

 fome very retired place to breed in. Thefe birds 

 are fometimes wholly black ; I have heard of a 

 male bulfinch which had changed its colors after it 

 had been taken in full feather, and with all its fine 

 teints. The firft year it began to affume a dull 

 hue, blackening every year, till in the fourth it 

 attained the deepeft degree of that color. This 

 w^as communicated to nie b/ the Reverend Mr. 

 White of Selborne, Mr. Morton^ in his Hifiory of 



North am ft en- 



