The Sxow-Finch 105 



ing, and sang regularly in the spring : unfortunately I kept this example in a 

 cage, and, at its third moult, all its quills grew out like fans, giving the bird 

 a most wild and uncanny aspect ; indeed it was such an object that I gave it 

 away to some poor child who took a fancy to it. 



About 1889 I again purchased a Brambling from a bird-catcher, and turucd 

 it iuto a good-sized aviary with other British species : it soon became fairly tame, 

 sang well each spring, and rarely made itself objectionable to its associates ; it 

 lived principally upon seed, but ate a certain amount of soft food and any chance 

 insects which were thrown to it. The plumage of this bird was so perfect that a 

 friend who greatl}' desired to have it for show- purposes persuaded me to let him 

 purchase it. 



Bramblings have not only bred in confinement, but have been successfully 

 crossed with Chaffinches. The Natural History Museum at Florence contains 

 several hybrids between the Brambling and Chaffinch. These specimens show 

 ample evidence of their origin, and were netted in a wild state by the Italian 

 bird-catchers. 



Family— FRINGILLID.E. Subfamily— FRINGILLIN.F. 



The Snow-Finch. 



lllonli/yingilla nivalis, LlNN. 



1 



N February 1905, a male was shot at Rye Harbour, Sussex. It has occurred 

 twice at Heligoland, once in the north of France, and several times in 

 Germany. 



E2 



