THE FINCHES 153 



and child, and nothing could do so more effectually than the former 

 having fresh domestic duties to attend to. Observations on this and 

 other points relating to the formation of flocks in the different species, 

 would be, no doubt, of interest as what observation is not? but 

 personally, there does not appear to me to be anything very mysteri- 

 ous, either in the growth of the social instinct, or in the effects which 

 naturally follow from it. 



Two species yet remain to be considered in this sketch of the 

 flocking habits of the Fringillidce, which, as they differ, though in 

 varying degrees, from the rest, and, to the same extent, approach 

 one another, I have purposely left to the last. In the bullfinch 

 we have a bird whose social instinct might seem to be but poorly 

 developed. From September to April, but chiefly in winter, it 

 is, indeed, seen in family parties, but seldom, according to Forrest, 1 

 in flocks. Lilford 2 and others concur in this, but Aplin 3 has 

 seen it in small flocks, of about a dozen together, in Oxfordshire. 

 Personally I have never seen it more than three or four strong, 

 that I remember, but, as to this, it is to be remarked that flocks 

 are dependent on numbers, and the bullfinch, unfortunately, is 

 with us anything but a numerous species. That where it is more 

 abundant it congregates upon a more imposing scale, I have very 

 little doubt, and we are, in fact, informed that in Carinthia "the 

 families combine to form large flocks." 4 We are not told that these 

 are made up of migrating birds, and even supposing them to be so, 

 yet flocking is flocking, with whatever motive the individuals may be 

 drawn together. At any rate, the more fortuitous the gathering, the 

 less (as a necessary inference) can the social instinct be said to 

 obtain, whereas birds that felt impelled to gather for any purpose 

 where this was not an absolute necessity would be all the more 

 likely to do so on other occasions also. Perhaps, therefore, were the 

 bullfinch in numbers sufficient to put heart, as one may say, into 



1 Fauna of N. Wales. - Birds of Northamptonshire. 



3 Birds of Oxfordshire. * F. C. Kelley, Ornis Carinthia!. 



U 



