THE CHAFFINCH. 



THE CHAFFINCH. 



119 



The CHAFFINCH (Fringilla calebs) is another of the Frin- 

 gillidce, familiar to most of us, and constantly seen in the 

 brakes and amongst the hedges bordering the river. In 

 the " Countrie Farm," edition 1600, the chaffinch is called 

 the Spmk, and in the French work of Estreune and Lie- 

 bault, the corresponding word is Pinion. In Cotgrave's 

 Dictionary, Pinson is a spink, chaffinch, sheldpate ; and in 

 More's " Suffolk Words/' Spink is a chaffinch. In Hert- 

 fordshire it is called a Pink, or Twink, from its alarm- note 



THE CHAFFINCH. 



Pink-pink. Nicolls, in his poem on the cuckoo, published 

 1607, says : 



" The speckled spinck that lives on gummie sap." 



In Scotland the chaffinch is called the Shilfa. Graham, 

 in his laudation of Mary Stuart's beauty, says : 



" Her cheek is like the shilfa's breast, 

 Her neck is like the swan's." 



Put your glass upon him ; look at the variegated plumage, 

 the pinkish-red breast and dappled wing, with russet back, 

 of the male bird. 



