402 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



The 

 Hawfinch. 



side. If |)rcl'c'rrc(l, I he wlioic iif llii' hip (it I lie 

 cage may l)c wood instead of aboul an iiuli heinn 

 bow wired, as in the ilhistralioii. (iood sliape 

 and size, comliined willi rich cohmr. [icrtcct 

 plumage, and slea(Hncss, are reipiircd Inr suc- 

 cess in coinpelilion. 



The Hawfinch, (^occolltraiisles inilf/aris 

 (Dresser), the largest of the British Finclies, is 

 resident but rather locally dis- 

 tnl)utcd, although it has pro- 

 liably lired — nesting usually in 

 scrubby wliitethorn I)uslies — in all counties 

 south of and including (Cumberland. A friend 

 of ours, Mr. T. W. Sliar|)e, of Carlisle, found a 

 nest and eggs in Netherby Orchard, Longtown. 

 on .June 21st, 1907, which is believed to l>c the 

 first authentic record of its breeding in CundKr- 

 land. It is only an accidental visitor to Scot- 

 land and Ireland. Tlie Hawfinch has become 

 most popular as a cage bird, and though a! 

 liberty of a sliy disposition, in ca]ilivity il 

 becomes bold and most confiding, taking til-bits 

 from one's lingers, albeit a ni|i from its most 

 powerful l)ill is l)est avoided. It is a handsome 

 liird, having a line of black round the forehead 

 and in front of the eyes, with a beautifully 

 defined black bib on the throat. The general 

 colour above is chocolate-brown, running to pale 

 ciunanu)!! on the forehead, a bluish grey colour 

 <li\iding the brown on the liind neck just below 

 the nape ; the under-parts are pale red tinted 

 with brown, shading to white on the abdomen ; 

 the wings are black, glossed willi piiiple-blue. tlu' 

 first four juimaries having a narrow l)ar of white 

 on the inner webs, which is more liroadly con- 

 tinued upon llie same parts of the secondaries. 

 One of the striking features of the wiiigs are the 

 peculiarly shaped blue feathers that overlap (he 

 primaries of the wings. The tail is short for 

 the size of the bird, in colour lilackish-brown, 

 lipped with wliile. The fenude is a much paler 

 shade all over, has a smaller bib, and I he breast 

 and under-l)arls of a very pale brown. Tlirsc 

 birds do well on a die! of canary and wliile sun 

 flower seeds willi a lilllc I'aiglisli rape. dari. or 

 hemp added on alternate days so as to vary tlie 

 (lid. .\ few oats may occasicuially be given, 

 and when green jieas are in season these can fcuiii 

 half their food. The various small berries should 

 be given as they ripen, especially those of the 

 hawthorn and kernels of \arious stone fruits. 

 .\ meal-worin cu' I wo can also be gi\i'ii sparingly 

 when other tit-bits are pleiilifiil. b'ree access 

 should be given lo the balli. 



The Hawfinch is most hardy, and not a! all 

 (lifliculf to keep I llie young, taken at alj(jul 

 ten days old, can lie reared on aii\ f^ood insecl iv- 

 orous food, or upon equal parts (d liiiely minced 

 hard-boiled egg and powdered plain biscuit. 

 mixed to a creaiiiv substauee willi new milk or 



The 

 Goldfinch. 



warm water. Tn I his sliould be added a little 

 (ierinan ra|ie, prepared by soaking in cold water 

 for forty-eight liours (clianging the water two 

 or lliree limes), and finally well rinsing under 

 the tap. It should then be dried through a 

 strainer, and piil|)ed up with the back of a 

 spoon before mixing with the other fociil. Two 

 or three green peas may be minced ii|) line and 

 added if ]irocurable. Little and often is the 

 secret of success ; tlo not cram the bird at one 

 lime and give no more for hours; a little food 

 should be given from the cni\ of a blunt-pointed 

 |)iece of wood every half-hour from early morn 

 till late at night. Two or three clean gcniles, 

 with the skins pierced, a meal-worm cut into two 

 or three pieces, or a small, smooth, green cater- 

 pillar or two may be given two or three times 

 a day in addition. Keep the nest clean and in 

 a box as recommended for insectivorous birds, 

 and when the youngsters can do for themselves, 

 gradually wean them on to adult diet. 



Sltb-F,\mily Fringili.in.e. — The Goldnnch, 

 Cardaclis clcr/ans (Macy.). is one of if not the 

 most popular and general 

 favourites of our British resident 

 Finches. II is pretly generally 

 disli'iliiiled, bill owing to the cidlixalion of 

 waste land foinierly alioimding willi tliislle 

 and oilier weeds. Iliis bird has become iimeli 

 more loi-at and rare in Scotland, but is 

 fairly i)lentiful in |iails of Ireland and some 

 districts of luiglaiul. and reports indicate that 

 Ihey are on the increase. There is no necessity 

 lo describe this liird minutely ; a reference lo the 

 coloured iilale will show that il is of particularly 

 striking iilumage. The dilVerence between the 

 sexes is very dillicull lo distinguish ; the female, 

 as a rule, is smaller, the feathers immedialely 

 over the beak are lighter, the black feathers on 

 llie back of the head are edged with brownish- 

 grey, as are also the black feathers on the 

 shoiildi-r, whilst the head is invariably smaller; 

 Ihe red on llic face, or llie "blaze," as il is 

 called li\' fanciers, eiils olT ininiediately willi the 

 eye. whereas llial of llie cock runs right Jiast the 

 eye, especially that portion over the forehead. 

 Though Ihe (ioldlirich fre(|uents wild waste- 

 lands for its food, for nesting it favours orchards, 

 evergreens, the branches of Ihe horse-chestnut, 

 bircli, and oak. and other silualinns. The nest 

 is most ingenions and jirelty ; it is cup-shaped 

 and composed |H-incipally of moss, lined willi 

 wool and the down from the Ihislle, groundsel 

 and dandelion seeds, with sometimes a few soft 

 teal hers or a HI lie horsehair. The outside is 

 coNcred with lichen, and Ihe eggs are generally 

 from four lo live in nuiuber. There is no need 

 lo hand-rear the (ioldlincli, as il takes readily lo 

 cage life, and though at first restless, continually 

 hopping about, clinging to Ihe wires, and rail ling 



