BULLFINCH. 



HULL I 



their master, an nid to bare died of grief. BufiWs story of tho 

 return of the eocaped bullfinch it corroborated by the amiable qualities 

 ascribed to it by Bechstein, for he nay* that, among other feat*, it may 

 be accustomed to go and return, provided the house in not too near a 

 wood. 



In a state of nature the Bullfinch feeds on pine and fir seeds, corn, 

 linseed, millet, rape, and nettle seed, all aorta of berries, and the buds 

 of moat trees, among which thoae of the oak, beech, pear, plum. 

 cherry, and gooseberry are favourites. Bewick my* that in the spring 

 it frequent* garden*, where it is usefully busy in destroying the worms 

 which are lodged in the buds. Busy it is ; but we are compelled to 

 add that iU utility, to the horticulturist at least, is no longer ques- 

 tionable. In its devastation it may now and then, and no doubt does 

 find a worm in a bud; but its object is the bud, not the worm. 

 " They feed most willingly upon those buds of trees which break forth 

 before, indeed are pregnant with, the leaves and flowers, especially 

 thoae of the apple-tree, pear-tree, peach-tree, and other garden trees; I 

 and by that means bring no small detriment to the gardeners, who 

 therefore hate and destroy them as a great pest of their gardens, 

 intercepting their hopes of fruit" Such is Willughby's verdict. " I 

 have known," says Selby, " a pair of these birds to strip a considerable- 

 sued plum-tree of every bud in the space of two days. These buds 

 are not swallowed whole, but first minutely divided by the tomia of 

 the powerful bill." " Its delight," observes Mr. Kjmpp in his inter- 

 esting and lively ' Journal of a Naturalist,' " is in the embryo blossoms 

 wrapped up at this season (spring) in the bud of a tree ; and it is very 

 dainty and curious in its choice of this food, seldom feeding upon two 

 kinds at the same time. It generally commences with the germs of 

 our larger and most early gooseberry ; and the bright red breasts of 

 four or five cock birds, quietly feeding on the leafless bush, are a very 

 pretty sight ; but the consequences are ruinous to the crop. When 

 the cherry buds begin to come forward, they quit the gooseberry, and 

 make tremendous havoc with these. I have an early wall cherry, a may- 

 duke by reputation, that has for years been a great favourite with the 

 bullfinch family, and its celebrity seems to be communicated to each 

 successive generation. It buds profusely, but is annually so stripped 

 of its promise by these feathered rogues, that its kind might almost 

 be doubted. The Orleans and green-gage plums next form a treat, 

 and draw their attention from what remains of the cherry. Having 

 banqueted here a while, they leave our gardens entirely, resorting to 

 the fields and hedges, where the sloe-bush in April furnishes them 

 with food." 



Bewick says it builds its nest in bushes, and that it is composed 

 chiefly of moss, Bechstein, in the most retired part of a wood, or in" a 

 solitary quickset hedge, adding that it is constructed, with little skill, 

 of twigs, which are covered with moss. Graves says that it is mostly 

 found in the thickest part of a black- or white-thorn bush, and that it 

 is composed of small twigs and moss, and is lined with soft dry 

 fibres. Tarrell says the nest is formed of small twigs, and lined with 

 fibrous roots, the materials not very compactly entwined together, 

 and usually placed four or five feet above the ground on the branch of a 

 fir-tree, or in a thick bush. The eggs are generally four or five ; 

 Temminck says from three to six, but in this country the number is 

 usually four, of a bluish white, speckled and streaked with purplish 

 or pale orange-brown at the large end, and rather obtuse. The young 

 are generally hatched in May or the beginning of June, and there are 

 frequently two broods in a year. The time of incubation is fifteen 

 I 



The species is widely spread. They are common in most parts of 

 Northern Europe, extending into Russia and Siberia : in the south of 

 Europe they occur only as birds of passage. They are said to winter 

 in Italy. Gesner says that about the Alps the bird is called Franguel 

 Inveruengk that is, 'Winter Finch.' Bonaparte notes it as "raro 

 d' inverno avventizio" near Rome. Thunberg long ago said that 

 the common Bullfinch was found in Japan, and this is corroborated 

 by I>r. de Siebold, for it was one of the European species which he 

 found in that country. The bird is particularly common in the 

 mountainous forests of Germany: and it is from Cologne and other 



-!" 



" Where Khenui utrayn his Tines among," 



that the market for Piping-Bullfinches is principally supplied. Bech- 

 stein mentions that there are schools for these little musicians in He**: 

 and Fulda, and at Waltershausen near Gotha. With us the bullfinch 

 is a constant resident. 



P. Synoica, the Asiatic Bullfinch. The adult male is ornamented 

 round the base of the bill with a circle of rich red, going 08 in spots 

 upon the cheeks. The front is roven-d with small lustrous white 

 feathers, of a xilvery white, lightly shaded upon the borders with red ; 

 all the lower parts of the body, the inferior coverts of the tail, and 

 the rump, are of a brilliant rose-colour, or clear carmine ; the upper 

 parts are uh-coloured, lightly tinged with rose : wings and tail brown, 

 with ash-coloured borders. 



The female is brown, of a light brown or earth-colour above, with 

 longitudinal lines of deeper brown upon each feather. The lower 

 part* ore of a very clear brown or Isabella-colour, with longitudinal 

 striae of a somewhat deeper brown upon the middle of the feathers. 

 The tail is slightly notched at the end, and the bill and feet in both 

 exes are of a clear brown. Length about 5 inches and 5-8tht. M. 



Hemprich found this species near Mount Sinai, in Arabia; and there 

 are specimens in the museums of the Netherlands and of Berlin. Tern- 

 miiick, from whose work the figures and description are taken, thinks 



Asiatic Bullfinch (Pyrrliula Sytittica). Upper figure, male ; lower figure, female. 





Pyrrhvta Gigathinra. Lower figure, male. 



it possible that the ' social bullfinch ' may be found some day in the 

 inlands of the Grecian Archipelago, and that it may easily paas in it 

 migrations the arm of the sea between Asia and those isles. 



