sss 



FRINGILLID.E. 



FRUIT. 



Siskin (Fringilla tpintu of Linnaeus), the Lesser Redpole, and the 

 Goldfinch. 



In the second Tolume of his ' Classification of Birds," Mr. Swainson 

 makes the Coccothraustinie the typical group, a sub-family composed 

 of the Hawfinches, Weavers, Goldfinches, and Linnets. They live 

 entirely upon trees, and have the bill very strong and entire. Genus, 

 Coccothrauttei ; sub-genera, Pyrenettet (Sw.), Coccoborus (Sw.), Cocco- 

 thrauttet (Briss.), Spermnphaga (Sw.), Dertroidet (Sw.). Genus, Ploceut ; 

 sub-genera, Vidua (Cuv.), Euplectet (Sw.), Pluceus (Ouv.), Symplectet 

 (Sw.). Genus, Amadina (Sw.) (Bengaly); sub-genera, Estrdda (Sw.), 

 Amadina (Sw.), Spermestet (Sw.), Erythura (Sw.), Pytelia (Sw.). 

 Genus, Tiaria (Sw.) ; Genus, Cardttelis (Sw.) ; Genus, Linaria (Briss.) ; 

 sub-genera, Linaria, Leucosticte (Sw.), Chloris (Sw.). The second or 

 sub-typical group he makes to contain the Tanagrince. Genus, 

 Tardivola (Sw.) ; Genus, Tanagra (Linn.); sub-genera, Pity/us (Cuv.), 

 Tanagra (Linn.), Ramphopit (Vieill.). Genus, Phrrnitoma (Sw.) ; sub- 

 genera, Lamprotet (Sw.), Phuenitoma (Sw.), Tachyphomu (Vieill.), 

 Leucopygia (Sw.). Genus, Nemosia (Vieill.); Genus, Aglaia (Sw.) ; 

 sub-genera, Eupltonia (Sw.), Tanagrdla (Sw.). Genus, Pipillo (Vieill.) ; 

 sub-genera, Arremon (Vieill.). The third consists of the Fringillino!, 

 or True Finches, differing materially from the two former ; their 

 bill* are generally smaller, but more perfectly conic; seeds form their 

 food almost entirely ; and they chiefiy live upon the ground. Genus, 

 Pyrgita (Antiq.) ; sub-genera, Aimophila (Sw.), Leucophryt (Sw.). 

 Genus, Fringilla (Linn.) ; sub-genera, Patterella (Sw.), Fringilla, 

 Zonotrichia (Sw.), Ammodramut (Sw.), Chondestei (Sw.). Genus, 

 Emberiia ; sub-genera, Emberiza (Linn.), Fringillaria (Sw.). Genus, 

 Leptonyx (Sw.); sub-genus, Melophut (Sw.). Genus, Plectophranes 

 (Meyer); sub-genera, Miliaria (Sw.), Plectrophanet (Meyer). Genus, 

 Agrophiliu (Sw.). The fourth contains the Alaudime. Bill much 

 more slender than in any of the preceding ; hind claw always more 

 or less lengthened. Genus, Alauda (Linn.) ; Genus, Calendula (Linn.) ; 

 sub-genera, Myafra (Horsf.), Braconyx (Brachonyx ?) (Sw.). Genus, 

 Agrodroma (Sw.) ; Genus, Macronyx (Sw.) ; Genus, Certhilauda (Sw.). 

 Mr. Swainson considers that the Alaudinie pass into the fifth, the 

 Pyn-hulinac (Bullfinches). Genus, Pyrrkulauda (Smith); Genus, 

 Pyrrkttla ; sub-genera, Crithagra (Sw.), Spcrmophila (Sw.). Genus, 

 Ptittirottra (Temm.) ; Genus, Corythiu (Cuv.) ; Genus, Htemorrhout 

 (Sw.). ; Genus, Lojia (Linn.). 



In Mr. Darwin's collection is a series of Ground-Finches, so peculiar 

 in form that Mr. Gould was induced to regard them as constituting 

 an entirely new group, containing fourteen species, and appearing to 

 be strictly confined to the Gallapagos Islands. He proposes the 

 following generic names for them : Geotpiza, Camarhynchua, Cactomis, 

 and C'erlkiada. Mr. Darwin remarks that these birds are exclusively 

 confined to the Gallapagos Islands ; but their general resemblance 

 and their indiscriminate association in large flocks rendered it almost 

 impossible to study the habits of particular species. In common with 

 nearly all the birds of these islands, they are so tame that the use 

 of the fowling-piece in procuring specimens was quite unnecessary. 

 They appeared to subsist on seeds deposited on the ground in 

 great abundance by a rich annual crop of herbage. (' Zool. Proc.,' 

 1837.) 



Having thus endeavoured to give the student a general sketch of 

 this family of birds, and the views of some of the leading ornitholo- 

 gists with regard to them, we conclude with a list of the spedes 

 found in the British Islands as given in Mr. Yarrell's work on ' British 

 Birds.' 



Patter montanut, the Tree-Sparrow ; Fringilla montana, Penn. ; 

 Pyi'ytia, Fleming; Paster montanut, Selby ; Fringilla montana, 

 Jenyns ; Pyrgita, Gould ; Fringilla, Temm. [PASSER.] 



Patter dometticut, the House-Sparrow ; Fringilla domestica, Penn. ; 

 Pi/ryita, Fleming; Passer dometticut, Selby; Pyrgita, Gould. 

 [PASSER.] 



Coccothrauttei Morit, the Green-Finch or Grosbeak ; Loxia 

 ehlorit, Penn. ; Coccothrauttei, Fleming ; Fringilla, Jeuyns. [Cocco- 



THBAU8TES.] 



Coccothrauttet vulgarit, the Haw-Finch ; Loxia Coccothraustet, Penn. ; 

 Fringilla Coccollirauttet, Jenyns ; Uaccothrauile* vulgaris, Gould ; 



[COCCOTHRAUBTES.] 



Carduelit elegant, the Goldfinch ; Fringilla Carduelit, the Gold- 

 finch ; Carduelit elegant, Selby and Gould. [CARDUELIS.] 



Carduelit ijnnut, the Siskin ; Fringilla tpinut, Penn. ; Carduelit, 

 Selby and Gould ; Fringilla, Jenyns and Temm. [CARDUELIS.] 



Linola cannabina, the Common Linnet; Fringilla Linota, Linnet- 

 Finch of Penn. ; P. cannabina Red-Headed Finch ; F. Linola, Brown 

 Linnet ; P. cannabina, Greater Redpole ; F. Linota, the Linnet of 

 Bewick; Linaria, of Selby; Prinyilla, Gros-Bec Liuote of Temm. 

 [LINOTA.] 



Linota canetcent, the Mealy Redpole of Gould and Bonaparte ; L. 

 borealit, Macgillivray ; Fringilla, Gros-Bec Boreal, Temm. [LINOTA.] 



Linota linaria, the Lesser Redpole, or Common Redpole ; Frinyilla 

 linaria, Lesser Red-Headed Finch of Pennant; Rose-Linnet of 

 Fleming ; Linaria minor, Lesser Redpoln Linnet of Selby and 

 Gould ; Gros-Kec Sizerin of Temminck. [LiNOTA.] 



Linota montium, the Mountain Linnet, or Twite; Fringilla montana, 

 Twite-Finch of Penn. and Gould; P. montium of Montague and 

 Jenyns; Mountain Linnet of Bewick. [LiNOTA.l 



Pyrrliula vulgaris, the Bulfinch. It is Loxia pyrrhula of Peniiaut, 

 Montague, and Bewick ; Pyrrhula vulgaris of Fleming, Selby, Jeuyns, 

 and Gould. [BULLFINCH.] 



Pyrrhula enudeator, the Pine Grosbeak ; Loxia enucleator of Penn. ; 

 Corythut, Common Hawfinch of Fleming and Gould ; Pyrrhula, Pine 

 Bulfinch of Selby and Jenyns. 



FRITILLA'RIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Liliacece. It has a perianth of 6 leaves with a nectariferous depression 

 at the base of each ; the style trifid at the apex ; the seeds flat. Of this 

 genus the Common Fritillary, F. meUagris, is a native of Great Britain. 

 It has a single-flowered leafy stem, the leaves all alternate and linear- 

 lanceolate. It inhabits meadows and pastures, and is found through- 

 out Europe. It has flesh-coloured flowers, with numerous dark and 

 sometimes white spots. F. montana, grows in the mountainous 

 districts of Europe. It has the 2 floral leaves, opposite, and distinct 

 from those of the stem. P. pyrcenaica of Sibthorp, the F. tulipifolia 

 of Bieberstein, is found in Greece. The species are often cultivated 

 in gardens on account of their flowers. They blossom in April and 

 May, and will grow in any common garden soil. (Babington, Manual 

 of British, Botany ; Koch, Flora Germanica.) 



FROG. [AMPHIBIA.] 



FROGSBIT. [HYDROCHARIS.] 



FROND, a botanical term intended to express such organs as are 

 composed of a stem and a leaf combined. The leaves of ferns and 

 palms were thought to be of this nature. It is not now however 

 applied to the leaves of palms, but is still employed to express those 

 leaf-like expansions of the C'ryptogamia which bear the orgaus of 

 reproduction. 



FRONDICULARIA. [FORAJIINIFERA.] 



FRONDIPORA. [MILLEPORID*:.] 



FRUIT. In botanical language, that part of the plant which in the 

 early stages of its growth is called the Pistil [PISTIL], and which 

 contains the ovules or seed-buds, becomes the Fruit, when the ovules 

 by the presence of the embryo, are changed into seeds. The Style and 

 Stigma, when they still remain, retain their names, but the Germen 

 is called the Pericarp. In this sense, there are of course some plants 

 which have no Fruit, because they are not provided with a Germeu ; 

 these therefore have naked Seed-Buds, or Ovules, and also naked Seeds 

 (Semina nuda) ; such are Coniferce, Cycadacece, and Loranthacece. 

 But there are some plants in which the germeu is easily destroyed, so 

 that the seed-bud is developed without an envelope to the seed : these, 

 in order to distinguish them from the former, are termed Semina 

 denudata, as in Leontice and PeHosanthei. 



Fruits may be divided, according to the analogy of the flower, into 

 Naked and Covered (Fructus nudus et Fnictus tectus), according as 

 the germen only appears to exist, as in Lilium, or as this is surrounded 

 by other floral parts, as in Nicandra. When one pistil is developed 

 into a fruit it is called a simple fruit (fructus simplex), as in Nigella ; 

 when several, a compound or multiple fruit (fructus multiplex), 

 as in Ranunculus. 



The parts of the Fruit are the Pericarp, the Spertnophore, the 

 Funiculus, and the Pulp. 



The Pericarp is the transformed germen : sometimes it is united 

 with the other persistent parts of the pistil, style, and stigma. The 

 latter are seldom of particular importance ; and all that need be said 

 of them is that they are sometimes retained, as in Papaver, or they 

 are more developed, as in Pulsalilla. The forms of the pericarp are 

 exceedingly diversified, but admit of no general definition : they fre. 

 quently exhibit hairs, prickles, protuberances, and membranous 

 expansions (alas), prominent ribs (costac or juga), and pits in their 

 interspaces (valleculse), &c. The pericarp essentially determines the 

 varied appearances of the fruit, by its diversity of structure. The 

 parenchyma of the germen is developed in various ways. In the 

 simplest cases, we find in the mature pericarp only the epidermis of 

 both surfaces, and between these a uniform layer of parenchyma, 

 without vascular bundles, as in the lower Aracece, or traversed by a few 

 simple bundles. In other cases only the epidermis of the external 

 surface is perceptible, whilst the entire parenchyma, with the epider- 

 mis of the inner surface, is succulent or fleshy, as in Atropa; or it 

 may be, that under the epidermis of the outer surface some layers 

 of cellular tissue are woody, whilst the underlying are fleshy; in 

 both cases very frequently passing without determined boundary into 

 the pulp. 



lu many other cases four layers are distinctly discernible, and 

 have been named, counting from without inward, Epicarp, Mesocarp, 

 (also Sarcocarp, or Flesh, 'caro'); and the two inner undistinguished 

 coats, the Endocarp. Those varieties of structure in the fruit are 

 most important which cause the peculiar solutions of the continuity 

 in the fully mature condition. Hence we obtain two comprehensive 

 classes of fruits, according as their construction causes a separation 

 into individual parts or not. The latter may be termed the berry-like, 

 and the former the capsular. The capsular are again divided into 

 two groups, according as the pericarp either opens and suffers the 

 seed to escape Capsules with their portions called valves; or sepa- 

 rates into individual parts, which do not again open, but firmly inclose 

 the seed Splitting Fruits (Schizocarps), and thuir parts called Meri- 

 curps. The Berry-like Fruits are also sub-divided into three groups, 

 according as the inner layers are the more tough and solid, and the 



