69 



GENUS FRINGILLA. 



CHAFFINCH. 



Fringilla c(eleb6, Linnaius. 



Local Names — Pinl^, Spink, BiiUsjniik, Flackie or 

 Flcckie (from its flecked wings). 



Eesident, and everywhere common ; breeding not in- 

 frequently in the immediate vicinity of the large towns. 

 In Peel Park, Salford, it was once well known, and there 

 it used to construct its nest very largely of the scraps 

 of raw cotton blown about from the neighbouring manu- 

 factories. It is a hardy bird, capable of standing very 

 severe weather, and the winter flocks are composed 

 almost entirely of males ; females, though uncommonly, 

 being sometimes with them in small numbers. It is 

 viewed with considerable mistrust by the country people 

 when seen about their gardens, and this feeling, at least 

 near Whalley, finds expression in the couplet, 



" The Spink and the Sparrow 

 Are the devil's bow and arrow," 



the sentiment generally following the more widely-used 

 one, 



" The Robin and the Wren 

 Are God's cock and hen." 



The Chaffinch does not sing in winter, l)ut begins very 

 early in spring, and in February a sunny day will gener- 

 ally set it going. AVhen disturbed, either at its nest or at 

 any other time, it is very noisy, uttering its alarm-note 

 incessantly, and these cries of distress are echoed by all 



