MOUNTAIN FINCH. 299 



FRINGILLA, Linn. Generic characters. Bill 

 nearly a cone, tomiee very slightly bent, point 

 entire ; wings pointed, second, third, and 

 fourth quill longest, and nearly equal ; feet 

 moderate, hind claw not lengthened; tail 

 slightly forked. 



Types, P. montifringilla^ ccelebs. 



THE MOUNTAIN FINCH. 



Fringilla montifringilla. LiN N. 

 PLATE XVII. 



Fringilla montifringilla, Linn. $*c. Brambling or Moun- 

 tain Finch of British authors. 



THIS very beautiful Finch is in Britain a 

 winter visiter only, arriving between September 

 and November, and leaving us again early in 

 spring ; in no instance, yet authenticated, remain- 

 ing to breed, or during any part of the summer. 

 In some seasons it is much more abundant than 

 others, and according to all our modern ornitho- 

 logists, is very generally distributed over our 

 islands in the localities which suit it. They are 

 found in partially wooded districts, or those in- 

 terspersed with old hedgerows, assembling in 

 considerable flocks, often intermixing with the 

 Chaffinches, which they resemble in their man- 

 ners, but from which they are easily distin- 

 guished during flight by the clear white on 



