462 FRINGILUD.E. 



stomi, to farm yards, and other places of refuge and supply. 

 It has been noticed by several authors, that the arrival of 

 the males, in a number of our summer visitants, precedes that 

 of the females by many days ; — a fact from Avhich we might 

 infer that in such species a similar separation exists between 

 the sexes before their migration." White, in his History of 

 Selbome, remarks that for many years he had observed that 

 towards Christmas, vast flocks of Chaffinches appeared in 

 the fields, many more, he used to think, than could be 

 hatched in any one neighbourhood, and on observing them 

 more narrowly he Avas amazed to find that they appeared to 

 be almost all hens. We certainly receive a considerable 

 accession to our numbers at the great autumnal migration, 

 most probably from Sweden and Norway ; I have, however, 

 reason to believe that some of the large flocks of supposed 

 females only, are in reality old females accompanied by their 

 young birds of that year, which in plumage resemble females, 

 the young males not having at that time acquired the bril- 

 liancy of colours which renders them so conspicuous after- 

 wards when adult. 



In the autumn they are gregarious, frequenting hedge-rows 

 and the stubbles of corn-fields; and in the winter, when the 

 weather is severe, they assemble about houses, gardens, and 

 stack-yards, roosting among evei'greens in plantations and 

 shrubberies, or in thick hedgerows. 



Their flight, like that of most of the Finches, is undu- 

 latory, and their food insects, with some young and tender 

 vegetables in spring and summer, at other seasons grain and 

 seeds. Gardeners are most of them enemies to Chaffinches, 

 on account of their partiality to early sown radishes when 

 first appearing above ground, and some few other mischievous 

 propensities. The common name of Pink by which this 

 bird is known provincially, has reference to the sound of its 

 call-note, and has its echo in several northern languages. 



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