The Chaffinch 



together with cobwebs and thickly lined with hair, lichens 

 being often added on the outside to make it assimilate better 

 with the surroundings. The eggs, generally four in number, 

 are greenish blue, spotted and clouded with deep reddish 

 brown, but occasionally the markings are entirely absent. 



During incubation the male waits on his hen with great 

 care, bringing her all the titbits and delicacies in the way 

 of insects which he can find, and both sexes are assiduous in 

 their attentions to their young. 



After the duties of housekeeping are over, the rest of the 

 year is spent in the woods, hedgerows, and gardens, feeding 

 promiscuously on insects, seeds, and berries. Towards the 

 middle of October large flocks, in which sometimes one sex 

 largely predominates, reach our shores from more northerly 

 breeding haunts ; most of these, moving southwards, feed 

 largely on beech-mast in company with Bramblings and then 

 pass on, but many remain to keep us company during the 

 winter, till early in spring they return again to their 

 breeding quarters. 



The male has the crown and nape bluish grey ; back 

 reddish brown ; rump greenish ; upper wing coverts white ; 

 greater wing coverts black tipped with white and forming 

 two conspicuous bars. Wing and tail feathers black, the 

 former edged with yellowish white, and the two outermost 

 pairs of the latter spotted with white ; cheeks and under 

 parts reddish brown. Bill horn coloured in winter, deep 

 lead grey in summer. Legs dark brown. The female is of 

 various shades of yellowish brown, but the white wing bars 

 are conspicuous. The young at first resemble the female. 

 Length 6 in. ; wing 3 "4 in. 



127 



