COMMON BULLFINCH. 409 



Female. — The female is considerably smaller. The charac- 

 ter of the colouring is similar to that of the male ; but the tints 

 are much duller. The black is scarcely inferior in depth or 

 lustre ; the grey of the back is tinged with bro^vn ; the white 

 on the rump is of less extent, that of the lower tail-coverts less 

 pure ; the cheeks, fore-neck, breast and sides are of a dull 

 greyish-brown. The bill is black ; the iris brown ; the feet 

 bl•o^^^lish, the claws black. 



Length to end of tail 5^^ ; extent of wings 9i§. 



Variations. — In old birds the principal variations are in the 

 red colour of the lower parts, in a few white feathers being 

 rarely seen in the wings, and sometimes in the inner secon- 

 daries being tinged with red. In captivity the whole plumage 

 sometimes becomes black or dusky. Individuals also vary 

 considerably in size, the largest being 6^ inches long. 



Habits. — The Bullfinch is generally distributed in Britain, 

 occurring in most of our wooded and cultivated districts, but 

 avoiding bare maritime tracts, as well as the northern islands, 

 which are destitute of wood. It is not, however, very common 

 anywhere, and seldom associates with other birds, but keeps in 

 small flocks of a single family. Its flight is quick and undu- 

 lated, its ordinary note a soft plaintive whistle, its song short 

 and mellow ; and during the greater part of the year it lives 

 in the thickets, hedges, and woods, betaking itself occasionally to 

 the fields in their neighbourhood, in search of seeds, and in 

 spring and the early part of summer to gardens and orchards, 

 where it commits great havock among the flower-buds of the 

 fruit-trees and gooseberry-bushes. The only substances which 

 I have found in its crop and stomach were small seeds of various 

 kinds, and particles of quartz ; and of the individuals thus 

 examined some were shot in February and April ; but, as the 

 species is not common in any place where I have resided in 

 spring, I have not been able to ascertain whether, in destroying 

 buds and flowers, the bird is searching for insects, or feeding 

 on these substances. Judging from the structure of its diges- 



