104: BRITISH BIRDS. 
brown, sometimes to such an extent as to entirely conceal the green ground, 
spotted and occasionally streaked with dark reddish-brown overlying mark- 
ings and pale purplish-brown underlying ones, usually most profuse at 
the larger end of the egg. A somewhat rare variety, which I have taken 
both in this country, in Greece, and in Germany, are scarcely distinguish- 
able from eggs of the Bullfinch; they are clear greenish blue in ground- 
colour, with large underlying blotches of faint purple, and surface-spots and 
streaks of rich purplish brown. They vary in length from ‘8 to ‘7 inch, 
and in breadth from °65 to ‘55 inch. Chaffinch’s eggs very closely resemble 
those of the Brambling, but as a rule are much more clouded with reddish 
brown. The Chaffinch generally rears two broods in the year. 
When the young are able to take care of themselves, they appear to be 
abandoned by their parents ; but in late autumn.the Chaffinches congregate 
into large flocks, and continue more or less gregarious for the winter. At 
this season of the year a considerable separation of the sexes appears to 
oecur; but it is probable that this peculiar habit is confined to those birds 
that come to our shores in autumn; for our resident Chaflinches of 
both sexes may be seen in company throughout the winter. It may be 
that the Chaftinches separate into flocks (the females and young in one, 
the old males in another) to perform their annual journey; for certainly 
after they have sojourned here some time these flocks seem to merge into 
each other, irrespective of sex. These flocks frequent the stubbles and 
the newly manured fields, and later on in the season the lands where 
sowing-operations are going on. A favourite place is in the beech-woods, 
where they keep company with Bramblings. Thew roosting-places are 
almost invariably amongst evergreens. 
The food of the Chaffinch in summer is almost exclusively composed of 
insects; but during the remainder of the year consists of grain and 
seeds of various kinds. The bird is often seen hovering in the air 
catching insects like a Flycatcher, and the young are fed on larve. In 
winter the bird consumes the seeds of many noxious plants, and often 
visits the stackyards and manure-heaps, feeding with the Sparrows. It is 
somewhat troublesome to the gardener in seed-time ; but a few scarecrows 
will usually suffice to keep the little plunderer away ; otherwise the Chaf- 
finch is one of the gardener’s best friends. 
Great numbers of Chaffinches annually come to this country to winter. 
The east and south-east coasts of England are the places where they usually 
arrive ; and their journeys are performed almost exclusively in the night, 
consequently many birds are obtained at our lighthouses, and frequently 
strike against the lantern in their wanderings. 
The Chaffinch is in great request as a cage-bird, especially on the conti- 
nent, in France and Germany, where the poor birds are often blinded for 
the purpose of increasing their powers of song. 
