Ligurinus or Spinus — Lit tea 107 



I think that Aristotle's Spinus is our Grenefinc, for it 

 lives for the most part among thorns, and feeds upon the 

 seeds of grasses. The bird which I believe to be the 

 Spinus in its size equals a Sparrow, and is wholly green, 

 and in this kind the male especially, the female being some- 

 what pale. It feeds upon the seeds of bigger thistles and 

 of burdocks, as the Aurivittis does upon the smaller ; and it 

 nests on branches of the willow or wild plum. It is a pleasant 

 songster, and does not refuse to draw its food and water up 

 in little buckets. 



But some one may perhaps object to me that this bird 

 with its green and somewhat pretty colour cannot be the 

 Spinus, inasmuch as Aristotle testifies that it is common- 

 place in colour. I should like the man who thus objects 

 to me to know that Aristotle equally condemns green colour 

 even in a bird which is entirely green, and from its greenness 

 has received its name. These are the words of Aristotle : — 



" The Vireo, which is entirely green, is singled 

 out as easy to be taught, and clever for the business 

 of life ; but it Hies badly and its colour is un- 

 pleasing." 



So far Aristotle. 



Of the Lutea. 



X\&>peiV, luteus or lutea, in English a yelovv ham, 

 a yowlryng, in German eyn geelgorst. 



Aristotle. 



The Luteus, so named from the pale colour of its 

 lower parts, is of the size of an Alauda. And it lays 

 four eggs, or even five. It builds itself a nest of 

 comfrey torn up by the roots, but spreads within 

 a covering of wool and hair. 



1 Aristotle in his History of Animals mentions three birds, ^Xtopis-, 

 xAcopiW, and ^Xwpfu? : but Turner's quotation with regard to xAcopew is 

 found in Aristotle under xka>\ns in a passage {Hist. An. Bk ix. S3) where 

 there seems to be no alternative reading. 



