328 



FRINGILLA. FINCH. 



Fio. 56. 



Head oblong, of moderate size, the forehead rather flat ; neck 

 short ; body ovate, of nearly equal breadth and depth. Legs 

 short ; tarsus compressed, covered anteriorly with seven scutella, 



posteriorly w^ith a long plate form- 

 ing a sharp edge, and inferior rugse. 

 Toes slender, compressed ; covered 

 above with few large scutella, gra- 

 nulate and narrow beneath ; the 

 second and fourth equal, the first a 

 little shorter, the third much longer, 

 and united to the fourth as far as the second joint of the latter. 

 Claws longish, slender, acute, arcuate, compressed, laterally 

 grooved. 



Plumage soft, blended, the feathers rounded, with a very 

 slender plumule of a few long barbs ; those at the base of the 

 bill with short bristle points. Wing broad, semicordate. Pri- 

 mary quills ten, secondary seven, the four outer quills nearly 

 equal, but the second and third longest. Tail longish, or of 

 moderate length, emarginate, of twelve feathers, the lateral 

 slightly bent outwards. 



Fig. 57. 



The genus Fringilla is very intimately allied to the genera 

 Passer, Coccothraustes, Linaria, and others of this family. The 

 species are all of small size, neat in form, with lively colours, and 

 of active habits. In Britain there are only two, which are nearly 

 of the same size, bear a great resemblance to each other, and live 

 in the same manner ; but the one, F. Cwlebs is a constant resi- 

 dent, while the other, F, Montifringilla visits us only in winter. 



