42 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



woven into it. Eggs. — Usually 4, sometimes 5, very rarely 6 ; 

 white or creamy ground-colour, with few bold purplish-black 

 spots, each with slight penumbra, and mostly near big end. 

 Average of 100 eggs, 30.8 X 21.3 mm. Br eediiig -season. — Generally 

 late May or early June in central Europe, rarely as early as mid- 

 May, but earlier in Spain. Incubation. — ^Lasts about 14-15 days ;, 

 male relieves female in middle of day (Naumann). One brood. 



Food. — Insects in spring, but much fruit in autumn. Coleoptera 

 (especially cockchafers) and larvae of lepidoptera, diptera, orthop- 

 tera (grasshoppers), and hemiptera : also spiders and small 

 mollusca, cherries and mulberries, also currants, grapes, and figs. 



Distribution. — England and Wales. — Spriag-visitor (arriving 

 end April to mid-May). Annual in very small numbers to south- 

 east and south-west England ; irregular elsewhere, but has occurred 

 most counties. Has nested Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Northants., 

 Herts., Surrey, Devon, and especially Kent, while other records 

 are not authenticated. Scotland. — ^A few occurrences, mostly 

 in south ; one Shetlands, one Orkneys, and noted Fair Isle spring 

 and autumn 1908, and May 1909, and spring 1913. Ireland. — 

 Rare casual sprmg and summer- visitor, most frequent Kerry, Cork, 

 Waterford, and Down. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe generally, except Norway, 

 Sweden north of 63°, and Russia north of 60°, to Mediterranean, 

 and in north-west Africa ; eastward to Tian-Shan and Altai, and 

 replaced by allied form in India and Turkestan. In winter in 

 tropical and southern Africa and Madagascar. 



Family FRINGILLID^. 



Comprising all finch-like or " seed-eating " bkds of our 

 country. Bill conical, short, and more or less stout, but very 

 variable ; cutting-edges either smooth or strongly toothed or 

 angulated. Nostrils always nearer to culmen than to cutting- 

 edge of bill and close to frontal feathers, sometimes concealed or 

 partially so. Wing A^ith nme obvious primaries, first spurious, 

 concealed and displaced by next. Tail with twelve rectrices. 

 Tarsus scutellated in front, sides covered ^^itli unbroken plates 

 forming sharp ridge at back. Sexes different, young mostly like 

 female. Complete moult in autumn, and in certain species also a 

 partial spring-moult ; autumn-plumage often greatly changed 

 towards spring by Avearing a^ay of differently coloured edges to 

 feathers. Cosmopolitan, or nearly so. 



Key to genera of family Fringillid.i: . 



(^Tips of mandibles crossing, bill laterally compressed Lo.via, p. 83 



{ Tips of mandibles not crossing, bill not compressed 2 



