FRINGILLA. 73 
Genus FRINGILLA. 
The genus Fringilla was included by Linneus in 1766 in his ‘ Systema 
Nature,’ i. p. 817, and the Chaffinch, the Passer fringilla of Brisson, has 
been almost universally admitted to be the type. Subsequent writers have 
subdivided this genus into almost as many genera as it contains species ; 
but there seems to be no reason why the Palearctic species should not 
remain in the genus in which Linnezus placed them, with the exception, 
perhaps, of the Sparrows, to whom we may grant generic rank in deference 
to custom. 
There appear to be no characters by which the Finches can be satisfac- 
torily subdivided. The arbitrary selection of any one of them, whether it 
be the shape of the bill, the general colour of the plumage, or the pattern 
of colour on the wings and tail, would separate many species which are 
obviously very closely allied. In this genus the majority of species have 
the profile of the upper mandible nearly straight; but those species in 
which it is curved may be distinguished from the genera hitherto treated 
of by the prevailing colour of the plumage being green and yellow. About 
100 species of this genus are known, which are found throughout the New 
World, but in the Old World are absent from the Australian and Oriental 
regions. 
These birds are found in almost every locality, from the mountain- 
forests to the open plains. Their food consists largely of seeds; but in 
summer insects and fruit are eaten. Many of these birds possess con- 
siderable powers of song. They are gregarious in their habits, except in 
the breeding-season. They build open nests, placing them in trees and 
bushes at various heights from the ground. Many of the nests belonging 
to the Finches are elaborately and very beautifully made. Their eggs vary 
from bluish white to light green in ground-colour, spotted and blotched 
with brown of different shades and pale grey, with the exception of the 
Snow-Finches (Montifringilla et Leucosticte, auct.), all of which lay, so 
| far as is known, pure white eggs. 
