234 BULLY IN FULL DRESS. 



be more delightful than to follow them in their native haunts, and 

 there become acquainted with their peculiar habits. In the distance, 

 the sound of the mule's voice is soft and mellow; that of the female 

 greatly resembles it, though they are readily distinguished by a 

 practised ear. Whilst uttering this, a smart twitch of the tail may 

 be observed, and when the female is on the nest, her mate frequently 

 sits for hours together on a neighbouring branch, sounding his plain- 

 tive note, or amusing her with his curious whining song. Unless 

 you see him singing, you miss the best part of the performance. 

 But it is at all times difficult either to see or hear him though I 

 have achieved both and therefore you must be satisfied with what 

 you can get. While singing, it puffs out its plumage, and makes 

 strange contortions with its head. I have frequently watched this 

 interesting manoeuvre ; but no sooner does the bird find himself ob- 

 served, than he shrinks to his ordinary size, alarms his mate, and 

 with her flies to a distant tree, where they remain out of sight, but 

 within hearing, waiting the event, and sounding their mellow note. 



We scarcely imagine that any of our readers are un- 

 acquainted with the personal appearance of Master Bully 

 in full dress : yet, lest there be any who are so, we may 

 as well describe it. The head and part of the throat are 

 of a rich velvety black ; the upper parts of the body deep 

 grey ; the wings and tail black varied with iron blue ; the 

 under parts of the body of a fine vermilion, passing into 

 white towards the tail. The effect of the whole is most 

 rich and harmonious. 



In young birds the vermilion tinge is less vivid than in 

 those of mature age, and in the females its place is supplied 

 by a reddish grey. 



Although a very common bird, being generally distri- 

 buted throughout Britain, and a permanent resident, the 

 Bullfinch is rarely seen or heard during the greater part of 

 the year, as it seldom leaves the thick covert of the woods 

 unless obliged to do so. Its natural home is in the woods, 

 groves, and copses, where it builds its nest rather late in 

 the season, seldom commencing it until the latter end of 

 April, or the beginning of May. The structure is composed 

 of dry twigs somewhat loosely put together, with a lining of 

 fibrous roots, and placed on a bush at no great height from 

 the ground ; frequently the nesting-place is a hawthorn, or 

 the horizontal branch of a spruce-fir. Sometimes an orchard 

 is the chosen, spot, as Bishop Mant describes it : 



