174 GOLDFINCH. 



Avell as flocks which have arrived from the Continent, cross the 

 Channel in October, and return northward in April. 



South of about 64° N. lat. in Norway, and 60° in the Ural 

 Mountains, the Goldfinch is found breeding throughout Europe, 

 although rare in the north ; while in Spain and other southern 

 countries it is exceedingly abundant and very bright in colour. It 

 is a resident in Madeira, the Canaries and Northern Africa ; visits 

 Egypt in winter; and ranges eastward to Persia. There, and 

 generally to the east of the line of the Urals, we find a larger form, 

 known as C. major, with nearly white rump and flanks ; and in 

 Southern Siberia this meets and interbreeds with C. caniceps, which 

 has no black on the crown and nape, but more white on the wing. 



The compact nest— like that of the Chaffinch, but smaller, neater, 

 of finer materials, and without the conspicuous lichens — is built 

 about the middle of May, and is often placed in a fork of a fruit- 

 tree or a horse-chestnut ; sometimes in a hedge or evergreen shrub. 

 The 4-5 eggs are greyish-white, spotted and streaked with purplish- 

 brown : measurements "66 by "5 in. Two broods are produced in 

 the year, and young have been found in the nest in September. At 

 first they are fed with insects and their larvK : but later the principal 

 food consists of seeds of the thistle, knapweed, groundsel, dock and 

 other plants. The song of this favourite cage-bird is well known ; 

 its call-note is a sharp twif. In captivity it breeds with several 

 other species of Finch. 



Adult male : feathers at the base of the bill and lores black ; fore- 

 head and throat glossy crimson-red ; cheeks and lower throat white ; 

 crown and the parts behind the cheeks black ; on the nape a narrow 

 line of white : back wood-brown ; wings black, tipped with white on 

 the inner quills and barred with bright yellow : tail-coverts white 

 with black bases ; the three outer pairs of tail-feathers black with white 

 central spots, the remainder black, tipped with white ; breast white, 

 banded with brownish-buff, with a yellow tint posteriorly ; flanks 

 buff; belly and under tail-coverts white; bill whitish with a black 

 tip; legs and feet pale flesh-colour. Length 5 in.; wing 3 in. In less 

 mature males, only the ist and 2nd pairs of tail-feathers have white 

 spots. The female has a more slender bill and less crimson on the 

 throat. The young, known as "grey-pates," "bald-pates" and 

 "branchers," are greyish-brown on the upper parts ; the wing tips 

 are buffish-white, and only the outer pair of tail-feathers show the 

 white spot. Some birds, called "cheverels," have the throat white ; 

 examples from Morocco have the back isabelline, and there are 

 several other varieties. 



