140 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



BRAMBLING. 



Fringilla montifringilla ; Grosbec c? Ardennes; Bergfink. 

 Mountain Finch. 



Bill, in winter, yellowish-white, in summer, lead' 

 colour ; legs and toes, light brown ; head, cheeks, nape, 

 and upper part of the back, black, tipped in winter with 

 light brown ; head and neck, in summer, velvet-black ; 

 chin, throat, and breast, fawn-colour ; wings, black, 

 variegated with brown and white ; upper tail-coverts, 

 white ; tail, black and forked. Length, six inches and 

 a half. 



The Brambling is but little known in Ireland, but in 

 appearance it somewhat resembles the Chaffinch ; the 

 white tail-coverts are, however, a distinguishing mark. 

 Mr. More describes it as an " irregular winter visitor, 

 chiefly occurring in the North of Ireland, and in hard 

 weather." 



The Brambling, or Mountain Finch, is, like the Snow 

 Bunting, an Arctic bird, but is not by any means as 

 common in Ireland. It is said to breed in Denmark, 

 Norway, and Lapland ; there is no record, however, of 

 this bird having bred in Great Britain, except in con- 

 finement, and I believe that the young ones were not 

 reared in these cases by their parents. It usually arrives 

 in November, and leaves again for the North in March. 

 Mr. Gray says that " it arrives during the night on the 

 east coast of England, and is often observed, shortly 

 after daylight, flitting among the rocks on the sea-shore, 

 evidently in a somewhat exhausted plight after its long 

 flight ; at such times it may be almost taken with the 



