272 GREEN GROSBEAK OR GREENFINCH. 



over the mainland of Britain and in Ireland, 

 frequenting cultivated districts in the vicinity of 

 gardens and limited plantations. During winter 

 they congregate in large flocks, feeding on the 

 stubble ground on various small seeds, and resort- 

 ing towards nightfall to the vicinity of the planta- 

 tions or evergreens surrounding some mansion, 

 flying for a time around, and clustering, before 

 taking up their roost, on the top of some bare 

 tree. Their sleeping place is returned to night 

 after night through the winter, and the flock may 

 be seen assembling and taking up the perches 

 in the same bushes with great regularity. In 

 spring, when paired, they resort to the garden 

 and shrubbery, breed in the various cover which 

 is there afforded, and at this time the male 

 may be seen in the morning rising with slow 

 or heavy strokes of wing, uttering his simple note, 

 and performing his long winding flight peculiar 

 to the season of love. The nest is placed at no 

 great elevation, and is built rather carelessly, the 

 base being formed of small twigs or slender roots, 

 the remainder of mosses often interwoven with 

 wool, and lined with a few feathers or hair. The 

 eggs are of a bluish or greenish white, spotted 

 with dark purplish brown, and two broods are 

 commonly hatched in the year. 



In Europe the Greenfinch is distributed with 

 nearly equal profusion as in Britain, decreasing 

 towards the south and north, and ceasing entirely 

 in the extreme parts of the latter. It was. seen 

 by Mr Strickland at Smyrna, and by some, Japan 



