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upon the ground, and lays from six to twelve eggs, 

 about two and a quarter inches long, of a light 

 yellowish brown, with spots of a darker colour. 

 As soon as the nesting commences the males for- 

 sake the females, and leave them to attend alone to 

 the hatching and rearing of their young. 



CHAFFINCH. 



FKINGILLA CCELEBS, Lin. 



This well-known lively bird, the handsomest of 

 the common small birds, is familiarly known in 

 England, where it is seen throughout the year. 

 During winter, as long as the weather continues 

 mild, the males congregate in immense flocks in 

 the stubble lands, but on the approach of snow 

 and inclement weather they resort to farm-yards 

 and other sheltered places. The females, deserting 

 their mates, migrate southward, and until the return 

 of spring few of them are to be seen. Linnaeus, in 

 his Fauna of Sweden, mentions this fact, stating 

 that the females migrate from that country during 

 winter ; from which circumstance he bestowed on 

 the species the name of Ccelebs (or Bachelor). In 

 this country its short and frequently repeated note, 

 heard as early as February, points it out as one 

 of the first of our indigenous birds to afford an 

 indication of returning spring. 



It is found in almost every part of Europe, in 

 the northern parts of Africa, and even as far as 



