1 66 GOLDFINCH. 



South of about 64° N. Lit. in Norway, and 60" in the Ural 

 Mountains, the (ioldfinch is found breeding throughout Europe, 

 although rare in the north ; while in Spain and other southern 

 countries it is exceedingly abundant and very bright in colour. It is 

 a resident in ^Madeira, the Canaries and Northern Africa ; visits 

 Egypt in winter ; and ranges eastward to Persia. There, and gene- 

 rally to the east of the line of the Urals, we iind a larger form, known 

 as C. major, with nearly white rump and flanks ; and in Southern 

 Siberia this meets and interbreeds with C. caniceps, which has no 

 black on the crown and nape, but more white on the wing. 



The compact nest — like that of the Chaffinch, but smaller, neater, 

 and of finer materials, and without the conspicuous lichens — is built 

 about the middle of May, and is generally placed in a fork of a fruit- 

 tree, though often in a hedge or evergreen shrub. The eggs, 4-5, 

 are greyish-white, spotted and streaked with purplish-brown : average 

 measurements "66 by -5 in. Two broods are produced in the year, 

 and young have been found in the nest in September. At first they 

 are fed with insects and larvae ; but the principal food of the 

 Goldfinch consists of seeds of the thistle, knapweed, groundsel, dock 

 and other plants. The song of this favourite cage-bird is well 

 known ; its call-note is a sharp twit. In captivity it breeds with 

 several other species of Einch. 



Adult male : feathers at the baae of the bill and lores, black ; 

 forehead and throat glossy crimson-red ; cheeks and lower throat 

 white ; crown and the parts behind the cheeks black ; on the nape 

 a narrow line of white ; back wood-brown ; wings black, tipped with 

 white on the inner quills and barred with bright yellow ; tail-coverts 

 white with black bases ; the three outer pairs of tail-feathers black 

 with white central spots, the remainder black, tipped with white ; 

 breast white, banded with brownish-buff, with a yellow tint beneath ; 

 flanks buff; belly and under tail-coverLs white ; bill whitish with 

 a black tip ; legs and feet pale flesh-colour. Length 5 in. ; wing 

 2*85 in. In less mature males, only the 1st and 2nd pairs of 

 tail-feathers have white spots. The female has a more slender bill, 

 the crimson of the throat is less extensive, and she shows no yellow 

 tint in the breast. The young, known as 'grey-pates,' 'bald- 

 pates ' and ' branchers,' are greyish-brown on the upper parts ; the 

 wing-tips are buffish-white, and only the outer pair of tail-feathers 

 show the white spot. Some birds, known as ' cheverels,' have the 

 throat white ; examples from Morocco have the back isabelline, 

 and there are several other variations. 



