16 



FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



perches upon the nearest tree to reconnoitre. When niditi- 

 cation sets in, the upper beak of the Chaffinch becomes a 

 light leaden colour. He doesn't moult entirely in spring-, 

 but sheds the tips of the feathers and becomes the bright 

 and pretty bird depicted in the plate. When alarmed, he 

 has the power of elevating the feathers upon the crown of 

 the head, and so forming a slight crest. The plumage of 

 the hen is much more sombre, being deficient in the blue on 

 the head and the rich colouring of the breast. The young 

 are exact imitations of the hen until they moult in the 

 autumn, and then the males obtain their brown breasts and 

 bluish-brown heads. 



The song of the Chaffinch has a charming air of rusticity 

 in it, that seems to breathe of trees and flowering fields. 

 It is uttered in a clear melodious tone, consisting of several 

 phrases, forming a set song of considerable beauty. This song 

 is repeated again and again like a merry old English catch. 



Although white or pied birds have seldom been taken, 

 yet specimens of a cinnamon colour have been frequently 

 obtained. The Chaffinch is, as a rule, a wary bird, and is 

 inclined to be wild and untameable when caged!j V 



