74 BRITISH BIRDS. 
FRINGILLA CHLORIS. 
GREENFINCH. 
(PiatE 12.) 
Passer chloris, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 190 (1760); et auctorum plurimorum—(Scopolz), 
(Latham), (Gmelin), (Bonaparte), (Temminck), (Degland § Gerbe), (Salvador), 
(Newton), (Dresser), &e. 
Loxia chloris, Zinn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 804 (1766). 
Fringilla chloris (Briss.), Meyer, Vog. Inv- und Esthl. p. 76 (1815). 
Ligurinus chloris (Briss.), Koch, Syst. baer. Zool. p. 230 (1816), 
Serinus chloris (Briss.), Bote, Isis, 1822, p. 555. 
Ligurinus chloroticus, Licht. Nomenel. Av. p. 46 (1823). 
Coccothraustes chloris (Briss.), Steph. Shaw's Gren. Zool. xiv. p. 87 (1826). 
Chloris flavigaster, Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 281 (1837). 
Chlorospiza chioris (Briss.), Bonap. Comp. List B. Eur. § N. Amer. p. 30 (1838). 
Chlorospiza chlorotica (Licht.), Bonap. Consp. i. p. 514 (1850). 
Ligurinus aurantiiventris, Cab. Mus. Hein. i, p. 158 (1851). 
Chloris aurantiiventris (Cab.), Salvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 315. 
The Greenfinch is a lover of well-cultivated districts, and in such 
is commonly distributed throughout the British Islands, including the 
Channel Islands. It is as widely distributed in Scotland as in England, 
and, according to Mr. Gray, is a permanent resident from north to south. 
It is found, according to that naturalist, in the Outer Hebrides in such 
districts as are suited to it; and in many of the inner islands it is equally 
common. Large flocks of this bird are now often found on the Shetlands, 
where, within the last few years, it has become a regular winter visitor, 
though formerly it was very rare there. It is also well known as a winter 
visitor to the Orkneys, and has occurred on the Faroes several times in 
winter. In Ireland it is as well distributed and common in suitable dis- 
tricts as in the rest of the United Kingdom. 
The Greenfinch breeds throughout Europe, in Norway extending as far 
north as lat. 65°, and in the Urals as far as lat. 60°. It is also a common 
resident in North-west Africa, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus, extending 
into North-west Persia and North-west Turkestan. To Palestine it is 
only known as a winter visitor; and to Madeira it is only a straggler. 
Examples from the extreme southern portions of its range are said to be 
more brilliant in colour and to havea larger bill. They have been de- 
scribed as distinct under the name of F. chlorotica; but these differences 
are merely climatic, the colours being most brilliant in examples from 
districts where the rainfall is small, and dullest in those from moister 
climates. 
The Greenfinch does not appear to have any near ally in Central Asia; 
