FINCH TRIBE. 17 



is very slight, in many instances the male 

 and female being the same in appearance, 

 or only differing in the breeding season; 

 while the young of most species imme- 

 diately resemble the adult, or acquire the 

 perfect plumage in the second year. 



Of all the varieties of birds they are the 

 most prolific, rearing several broods a 

 year; and in fact increase so rapidly, that 

 even accident, Hawks, or the shot-gun of 

 the juvenile sportsmen in the neighbour- 

 hood of the large cities and towns can 

 create no perceptible diminution. In the 

 country, in the vicinity of farm-houses, 

 they are always protected from pursuit 

 by their social and semi-domestic habits; 

 while the farmer's cottage is very often 

 ornamented with cages, containing the 

 species most celebrated for song. Their 

 habits are solitary in the time of incuba- 

 tion; but after that period they associate 

 together and migrate in bands of considera- 

 ble numbers. They are generally very 

 hardy, and many species, like the Snow- 



