ments. 



84 



Breeding In the British Isles first clutches are found from about April 15 



Season. Qn-^aj_'(Js^ and the eggs of the second brood in the latter half of May and 

 early June. In Germany first broods from April 20 to May; second broods 

 in June (Rey). In the north the breeding season is later: on Karlo the 

 earliest date given by Sandman is May 28, and most nests were taken in 

 early June. In the Parnassus eggs have been taken from April 18 to 

 June 23 (Kmper). 

 Measure- The average size varies somewhat according to locality. Rey gives 



the average of 100 mid-European eggs as 19,3X14.6 mm., Max. 22.8X15.5 

 and 22.5 X 15.8 mm., Min. 17 X 13.7 and 17.7 X 13.2 mm. 32 eggs 

 from Karlo and Enare are rather larger, averaging 20.13 X 14.72 mm (Sand- 

 man and Nordling), and on the other hand Reiser gives measurements of 

 eggs from Parnassus as 19.1 to 17.5 X 15.3 to 14.1 mm. An unusually 

 broad egg in my collection measures 20 X 16.5 mm., and dwarf eggs are 

 sometimes met with, 13X10, 14.5X11.5, 16 X 12.5 mm, etc. Average 

 weight 125 mg. (Rey). 15 full eggs average 2.024 g. (Foster). 



Geographical Races. 



a. European Chaffinch, F. coelehs coelehs L. See ahove. 

 1>. Moorish Chaffinch, F. coelehs spodiogenys Bp. 



Fringilla spodiogenys Bp. Dresser, Birds of Europe, IV, p. 13; id. 

 Man. Pal. Birds, p. 309. F. coelehs spodiogenys Bp. Hartert, Vog. Pal. 

 Fauna, p. 127. 



Breeding Range: Tunis, but replaced in Algeria and probably also 

 in S. Marocco by the closely allied F. coelehs africana Lev. and in N. 

 Marocco by F. coelehs koenigi Roths. & Hart., according to Hartert. Has 

 occurred in Italy. For notes on the breeding habits of this bird see 

 Whitaker, Birds of Tunisia, p. 214, Konig, Journ. f. Ornitli. 1893, p. 57, etc. 

 Eggs usually 3 or 4, rarely 5 in number; larger as a rule than those of 

 the European race. 17 eggs (14 by Erlanger and 3 by the writer) average 

 21 X 15.29 mm., Max. 23 X 16 mm., Min. 19 X 15 and 21 X 14 mm. 

 A dwarf egg measures 17 X 13 mm. (Erlanger). Ground colour dull pale 

 greenish blue, 'sparsely clouded and spotted with vinous and russet markings' 

 (Whitaker). Breeding season from mid-March to April and May. 



[In Madeira the resident race is F. coelehs madeirensis Sharpe. 7 eggs 

 average 21.57 X 16.3 mm. (Konig and Schmitz*); average weight of 3 eggs, 

 160 mg. (Konig). The Azorean birds are known by the name of F. coelehs 

 moreletti Puch. Average of 7 eggs, 21.27 X 15.36 mm. In the Canary 

 group F. c. canariensis Vieill. is found on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and 

 Gomera, F. c. palmae Trist. on Palma and Hierro, while a distinct species, 



Eggs figured in Journ. f. Ornith. 1890, Tab. VIII, fig. 2. 



