FINCHES 87 



when they most want it, from better birds which live entirely, 

 or nearly so, on insects." 



GREENFINCH. Coccothraustes chloris (Linnseus). PI. 

 13, figs, 5, 6. Length, 6 in. ; wing, 3"5 in. ; tarsus, 

 0-75 in. 



Resident and generally distributed, even to the 

 Outer Hebrides, where it is found in North Uist and 

 Harris ; a winter visitant to the Orkneys. The 

 Greenfinch varies much in size and colour. In the 

 South of Europe the resident form is smaller and 

 brighter than the large race found in the British 

 Islands. The adult male may be known by the 

 yellow base to the tail, and by the yellow on the 

 primaries, extending to the shaft of the feather : in 

 the hen bird the primaries are only margined with 

 yellow, which colour does not extend to the shaft. 

 A wild hybrid between this species, locally known 

 as the Green Linnet, and the Goldfinch has more 

 than once been taken {Field, March 13, 1897), but 

 must be regarded as extremely rare. 



HAWFINCH. Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pallas. PI. 11, 

 figs. 1, 2. Length, 7 in. ; wing, 4 in. ; tarsus, 0*9 in. 



Resident in the midland and eastern counties of 

 England, migrating in spring and autumn ; in Wales 

 has been observed in Pembrokeshire, Glamorgan, 

 and Brecon, where it breeds. In the south and east 

 of Scotland, but not in the west. Samuel Yuille, 

 head-keeper at Shotley Hall, Durham, writes that 

 he has occasionally shot Hawfinches in the woods 

 at Gartmore, near Aberfoyle, S.W. Perthshire. In 



