CASSIN'S BULLFINCH 261 



bathe in. Thej move on the ground by hopping, and their flight is 

 undulating." 



Voice. — The species has no proper "song" in the technical sense 

 of the word, though both sexes have a "subsong" which Tucker 

 (in Witherby, 193S) describes for the British race as "a low, broken, 

 piping warble of poor and creaky quality, interspersed with rather 

 louder notes; apparently also a more sustained and melodious piping." 

 The familiar and distinctive "song" of the bullfinch is actually its 

 call note, uttered in flight as well as when at rest, and throughout the 

 year. It is a sweet, soft, flutey whistle, variously syllabized as "deu" 

 or "phee," pleasing to the ear, and with considerable carrying power. 

 The clear, single note is held on a steady monotone and is easily 

 imitated. Birds in the wild will often answer a similar human whistle, 

 and can sometimes be induced to raise or lower their pitch. 



The quality of the call note varies somewhat between the races. 

 Tucker (in Witherby, 1938) describes the note of the European bull- 

 finch as "louder * * *^ also decidedly harsher * * *, richer and low- 

 er * * *" than that of the smaller British subspecies. K. Wada 

 (1933) considered the voice of a captive cassinii he saw in Aomori, 

 northern Honshu, to be "fuller and nicer" than that of the Japanese 

 bullfinch. 



Field marks. — The northern bullfinches are medium-sized, grayish 

 finches, with fairly long tails and markedly short, rounded bills. 

 They have black crests and wings, and a white rump patch which 

 is conspicuous in flight. The rosy breast of the male cassinii must 

 be very striking in the field. 



Captivity. — The bullfinch is a common cage bird both in Eiu*ope 

 and the Orient, prized for its beauty and gentleness, but mainly for 

 its sweet call note, for which purpose the female is as satisfactory 

 as the male. It is an extremely popular cage bird in Japan, and in 

 the little wooden cages that hang so commonly in front of the houses 

 in country villages, bullfinches frequently outnumber all other species 

 Yamashina (1933) states: 



"It is one of the most common cage birds. Anyone who has ever 

 become acquainted with its lovely features, gentle movements, and 

 clear and variable song will wish to have it in a cage. It is an ideal 

 cage bird from every standpoint, for it is hardy and easy to keep 

 healthy. Seeds of Deccan grass and millet suffice as a basic diet, 

 with greens added occasionally. It must be given water for bathing 

 frequently, and allowed room to exercise, otherwise it is apt to get 

 too fat. * * * It can be bred in captivity without difficulty, and it 

 has often been hybridized with the canary and other birds." 



Prince Taka-Tsukasa, one of the leading and most skillful avi- 

 culturists in Japan, adds the following comments (1928): 



