I06 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



true Goldfinch of Europe (Cardiielis carduelis), so 

 favourite a cage-bird, is locally established in North 

 America, by introduction, and by the same means has 

 now fortunately become very common in New Zealand, 

 Tasmania and South Australia. Its red face and yellow- 

 and-black wings are common to both sexes. In 

 California, one of the Rose-finch group (Carpodacus 

 frontalis), brown with crimson head, is a familiar bird, 

 building about houses, but, of course, the dominant 

 house-finch in most places is the too familiar House- 

 Sparrow (Passer domesticus), with a wide natural range 

 across Europe and Asia, and, unfortunately, intro- 

 duced into North America and the Australian region. 

 The various native " Sparrows " of America are rather 

 of the Bunting type. 



The Red Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), ranging, 

 with various allied forms, from Kentucky to Brazil, 

 deserves mention, as it is well known as the " Virginian 

 Nightingale " ; it is nearly as big as a Thrush, crested, 

 the male red and female light brown. It has bred in 

 captivity in England. Another beautiful North 

 American finch is the Nonpareil (Cyanospiza ciris), of 

 the size of a Linnet, the male with rich blue head, 

 red breast and green back, the female green above and 

 yellow below. 



The typical Buntings, like our Yellowhammer 

 {Emberiza citrinella),hdiYe a very characteristic beak, 

 with the centre of the palate ridged ; but they grade 

 into the typical finches. The Snow- Bunting (Plectro- 

 phanes nivalis), found all round the world in the Arctic 

 regions, is the most northerly Passerine bird, though 

 a race of Redpoll {Acanthis hornemanni) breeds in 

 Greenland. 



The Crossbills (Loxia), whose characteristic crossed- 

 tipped bill distinguishes them, are found in both hemi- 

 spheres, chiefly in northern and mountainous regions. 



Flower-peckers (DicaeincB), found in the warm parts 



