42 OUR RESIDENT BIRDS j 



of bill black. Forehead and throat blood-red. Cheeks, 

 fore part of neck, and under parts white. Back dark 

 brown. Wings variegated with black, white, and yellow. 

 Tail black, tipped with white. Bill whitish tipped with 

 black. Legs flesh-colour. Length 5 in. Female, slight- 

 ly smaller and duller. Young, no black or crimson on 

 head, under parts brownish white. 



Language. Although a favourite cage-bird, the song 

 is neither brilliant nor extensive. It is really a repetition 

 of the call-note with variations: thus, "whee-e-ur, 

 whee-e-ur, too-oo-ee, ti-weer, ti-weer, whit-wea, chi- 

 whit-chi-wit, chi-whit, wheec-wheec-wheec." Call-note, 

 " twit-it-it." 



Habits. Very sociable in winter. Fond of perching 

 on thistle plants, tearing the down out and scattering it 

 upon the breeze, in its endeavours to get at the seeds. 

 Flight undulating and fairly rapid ; it twitters whilst 

 flying. 



Food. Aphides, caterpillars, and many kinds of seeds. 



Nest. May onwards. Two broods. 



Site. In apple and other fruit trees ; sometimes in 

 evergreens and hawthorn hedges. 



Materials. Small twigs, rootlets, bents, moss, wool, 

 and lichens, lined with thistle-down, hair, and feathers. 

 A beautiful nest. 



Eggs. Four to five. Greenish or bluish white spotted 

 and streaked with reddish or purplish brown and lilac- 

 grey shell markings. Much like Linnet's but rather 

 smaller. 



CHAFFINCH (Fringilla ccelebs). 



Generally distributed throughout Great Britain. 



Haunts. Well-wooded districts, gardens, etc. 



Plumage. Forehead velvety black. Crown and nape 

 bluish grey. Mantle bright chestnut. Rump yellowish 

 green. Breast chestnut-red passing into white on the 

 belly. Wings black with two white conspicuous bars. 



