i08 catalogue of birds. 



The Chaffinch. 

 Family ^ Fring illidcc . 



The Chaffinch is well known to most people, 

 being resident, in suitable localities, all the year 

 round. Notwithstanding our plentiful supply, many 

 more arrive on the east coast during the autumn ; 

 and at this season of the year there is this peculiar 

 characteristic about this species, viz, that a "partial 

 and temporary separation of the sexes takes place, 

 and, owing to this fact, the name Caelebs, or 

 bachelor, was used by Linnaeus in reference to the 

 deserted males" (H.S.). 



The song is very abrupt, with a ringing clearness 

 about it, composed only of a few notes. Although 

 I know it very well, I should find it very difficult to 

 express the same in words. Howard Saunders puts 

 it thus, "toll-toll, pretty little de-ar." The bird 

 commences with high notes, and descends in the 

 scale ; it has also several sharp call notes, sounding like 

 " pink, pink, pink." The nest of this species is one 

 of the most beautifully constructed of our small 

 birds, — a perfect work of art, in fact. As I like Mr. 

 Pycraft's description of it in his " Bird Life" best, I 

 quote it. He says : "It is constructed for the most 

 part of wool and hair, matted together so as to form 

 a very perfect felt. On the outside of this are 

 fastened, or rather woven, mosses, lichens, and spider 

 webs. The whole so completely harmonizes with 

 its general surroundings as to make it very difficult of 

 detection." The nestincr-site is often in the fork of 

 some fruit-tree in an orchard, or in some his^h sort 



