THE TYPICAL FINCHES. 15 



THE TYPICAL FINCHES. 

 FRINGILLIN&. 



DR. SHARPE thus distinguishes these birds from the Buntings : 

 " Cutting edges of mandibles conterminous or nearly so, mandi- 

 bular angle at the chin very slightly indicated." 



Mr. Seebohm, in his History of British Birds, unites the Coccothraustina 

 and Fringillina, as also does Howard Saunders in his Manual. 



Of this sub- family, the British Museum Catalogue of Birds 

 enumerates over one hundred and seventy species, comparatively few 

 of which are imported. Excluding the strictly European species, the 

 number available as foreigners would be about 155, many of which 

 have nothing to recommend them to aviarists, either in colouring or 

 song ; whilst many others, which would be acceptable, are either 

 exceedingly rare, or difficult to obtain alive. 



The most typical Finch, inasmuch as it is the type species of the 

 genus Friiigilla, is our European Chaffinch. This bird has a near 

 relative, F. maderensis, which Mr. Abrahams imported, at my suggestion, 

 early in 1^96, and of which he very kindly sent me a pair. During 

 1896 I heard what I supposed to be the full song, which was inferior 

 to that of the European bird; but in 1897 it became distinctly superior, 

 being longer and more varied. 



Probably the greatest check to the importation of typical Finches 

 is that, with few exceptions, they are too expensive for the majority 

 of bird-lovers. This is not the fault of the dealers, but of the foreign 

 catchers, who do not seem to make an effort to obtain any particular 

 birds, but simply export what chance to come to their nets, traps, or 

 limed twigs. If specially bribed to do so, probably the}' would exert 

 themselves ; the foreign Siskins, Serins, etc., would then come in great 

 numbers, would become cheaper, and thus be within the reach of all. 



