9 2 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS 



one vicious Tree- Sparrow, associated with birds weaker than itself, might do much 

 mischief in a very short space of time : its powerful beak would enable it to kill 

 or maim any smaller or weaker bird without the least trouble. 



Family FRINGILLID&. Subfamily FRINGILLINAt. 



THE CHAFFINCH. 



Fringilla ccelebs, LINN. 



A L/THOUGH the type of the family Fringillidce and therefore the Finch of 

 jL\_ Finches, this species and the Brambling differ much in their habits from 

 the other British species of typical Finches (Fringillince) and one is surprised that 

 any man, having the knowledge of living birds which Seebohm undoubtedly had, 

 should have been content to place forms with Tit-like habits (Siskin, Goldfinch, 

 Redpolls) in the same genus with the true species of Fringilla birds which have 

 the habits of Buntings. If distinctive structural characters were wholly absent, one 

 could understand it. 



The Chaffinch is distributed as a breeding species throughout Kurope almost 

 up to the North Cape, but in the south of Europe it chiefly haunts the mountains 

 during the breeding season, wintering in the plains. It occurs locally in Morocco 

 and Algeria, and winters in Egypt. In Asia it is said to breed in Palestine, Asia 

 Minor, and Western Persia, and to winter in Turkestan. 



In Great Britain the Chaffinch is generally distributed ; breeding freely in all 

 wooded or cultivated districts, and in solitary bushes on the more barren portions 

 of our islands. 



The fully adult male Chaffinch in breeding plumage has the forehead velvety 

 black, the crown and nape steel blue, the former sometimes tinged with green, the 

 latter somewhat ashy ; the mantle bright chestnut ; lower back bluish ash-grey at 



