THE FINCHES 149 



five will occasionally build their nests within a few yards of one 

 another. The goldfinch does not, as far as is known, go quite to such 

 lengths, nevertheless, by flying in parties to procure food for the 

 young, 1 he remains, to some extent, social, even during the nesting 

 time ; and a similar habit has been remarked in the linnet. 2 



The crossbill is another of our finches which is gregarious, more 

 or less, all the year round, food being sought by the males, in company, 

 to give to the incubating females, 3 and, again, by both parents, in a 

 similar fashion, after the eggs have been hatched. Later the various 

 families combine into flocks, which fly above the tops of the fir-trees, 

 over which, as before stated, they will perform aerial antics reminding 

 one of the sudden, downward swoop, ending in a somersault, often 

 made by rooks when they come in to roost. 4 How much the crimson 

 plumage of the male must then, by harmonising with what ? some- 

 thing, no doubt ; shall we say the sunset glow ? 5 protect him from 

 the keen-eyed bird of prey, is too obvious to need pointing out. 

 Whilst flying thus together, the crossbills utter at intervals their 

 curious cry of "tsip-tsip" or "tsup-tsup" etc. This, according to 

 Seebohin, 6 is to keep the flock together, an explanation which, as the 

 birds are diurnal, and not blind, seems wanting in the only evidence 

 that could reasonably be held to support it. 



Always social, even during the nesting-time, the linnet collects, in 

 autumn, in flocks which, on the Continent, are sometimes described as 

 immense, 7 and continues thus banded throughout the winter. Leav- 

 ing now his wooded haunts of summer, he descends upon the " boskie 

 acres " and " unshrubd downes " of cultivation, where, according to 

 Sharpe 8 and Dresser, he consorts with others of his family, such as 



1 H. E. Forrest, Fauna of N. Wales. * Bailly, Ornithologie de la Savoie. 



3 Naumaun. Naturgeschichte der Vogel Mitteleuropas, iii. 



4 I think Forrest makes this interesting statement. If not Ussher and Warren, Cornish or 

 Aplin may. It comes from a trustworthy source. 



5 For the roosting-time this may serve. Something else must be thought of for earlier in 

 the day. 



A History of British Birds. 



' Bailly, Ornithologie Ae la Saroie ; Sharpe and Dresser, Birds of Europe. 



\ Op. cit. 



