34 Lloyd's natural history 



In winter the colour of the plumage is as in summer, but 

 the whole of the bill is fleshy white. 



Adult Female. — Difkrs from the male in being duller coloured, 

 the head being ashy brown, becoming chocolate-brown on the 

 hinder crown ; forehead and sides of face dull ochre-brown ; 

 under surface of body ochreous brown. Total length, 67 ; 

 culmen, 075; wing, 3-9; tail, 2'ij tarsus, 075. 



Young. — Chocolate-brown above, the crown olive-yellow with 

 dusky tips to the feathers; throat pale yellow; under surface 

 light brown with dusky tips to the feathers. 



Range in Great Britain. — Locally distributed, but increasing in 

 numbers, and by no means rare in the vicinity of London, 

 while in some of the southern counties it may be called 

 even plentiful. In Scotland and Ireland it is an irregular 

 visitor. 



Range outside the British Islands. — Generally distributed over 

 Europe and breeding also in Algeria, extending eastward to 

 Asia Minor and the Caucasus, and even to Turkestan. 



Habits. — The Hawfinch is a very shy bird, and even where it 

 is known to nest it is not easy of observation. Its food con- 

 sists largely of berries, seeds, and the kernels of stone-fruit, 

 which it is able to crush with its strong bill, rejecting the fruit 

 itself, and eating only the kernel. In this way Hawfinches do 

 some damage to plum-trees, and they also devour a quantity 

 of peas from the gardens. The young birds are especially 

 fond of the last-named food. 



Nest. — Composed of twigs and roots with a little lichen added, 

 the outside of the nest having a considerable fringe of out- 

 standing twigs, as in the nest of the Bullfinch. The lining 

 consists of fine roots and hair. 



Egg g .— Four to six. Ground of eggs stone-colour, with scrib- 

 bling marks and spots of grey or blackish brown, the grey 

 being the underlying tint ; occasionally the markings are 

 almost obliterated. In some specimen-, the ground-colour of 

 the egg is yellowish or creamy stone-colour. Axis, 0'8-ri inch; 

 ,065 075. (Plate XXIX , Fig. 8.) 



