Perching Birds. 



21 



The American T w o - B a r r e d 

 Crossbill (Loxia Icucoptera) is said to 

 have occurred in the British Islands. 

 It is scarcely to be distinguished from 

 the European form, but it is rather 

 more crimson in tint, and has the 

 scapulars blacker. 



Is a resident bird 

 in nearly every por- 



THE BULLFINCH. 

 {Pyrrhuln europcca.) 



The Bullfinch. 



tion of the British 

 Islands, frequenting woods and gardens, 

 and in the spring-time doing great 

 damage to the latter by eating the buds 

 of the fruit-trees. The Bullfinch is a 

 very sh}' bird and is more often heard 

 than seen, but when darting from one 

 tree to another it may generally be 

 recognised by the white on the 

 rump, which is conspicuous in flight. 

 The form of the Bullfinch is quite 

 characteristic, the bullet head and conical bill being unlike those of any other 

 European Finch, and these peculiarities distinguish Bullfinches from all parts of 

 Northern Europe and Asia ; in most cases the male has a scarlet breast and the 

 female a grey or brown one, but there are certain species in which both sexes are 

 gre}' and no scarlet is seen on the male. The nest is a very neat one, made of twigs 

 and lined with fine rootlets and ornamented on 

 the outside by a fringe of scattered twigs which 

 add to the beauty of its appearance. The eggs 

 are four or six in number, of a clear blue with 

 distinct spots and blotches of purplish brown. 



This is a large race of our 

 Common Bullfinch, inhabit- 

 ing Northern Europe and Si- 

 beria, which has occurred at 

 least three times in England, and probably more 

 often. Two were shot on the Yorkshire coast 

 and one in Norfolk, so that the bird may be con- 

 sidered an accidental visitor to our east coast. It 

 is not only a larger bird than our ordinary species, 

 but it is brighter in colour and the red of the breast 

 is purer and clearer than in P. cnropa-a. Its 

 habits are the same as those of the latter bird. 



THE GREATER 

 BULLFINCH. 



{Pyyyhnla pyn'liida.) 



The Grhater Bullfinch. 



