THE BULLFINCH. 181 



way, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Germany, and France. It also occurs 

 in Asia, both in Tartary and Japan. 



The scientific name of this bird is derived from loxos, oblique or 

 transverse, and pyrros, red; the first has reference to the shape of its 

 bill, and the second to the colour of its throat and breast. The short 

 thick neck, large head, and stout body of the Bullfinch render him 

 rather clumsy and awkward in appearance, but his plumage is so rich 

 and beautiful, that he is, notwithstanding, a really handsome fellow, 

 and a great ornament to our woods. Should you wish to observe his 

 habits in his native haunts, you must endeavour to approach him so 

 quietly that he may not notice you, as he is extremely shy and vigilant, 

 and will flit off on the slightest disturbance. He is very active in his 

 movements among the branches, and can fly with moderate rapidity, 

 but hops on the ground in a rather ungainly manner. 



The call-note of this bird is a soft and plaintive whistle, but it has 

 a rather sweet and pleasing, though simple song. "In the distance 

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

 greatly resembles it, though they are readily distinguished by a prac- 

 tised 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 plaintive 

 note, or amusing her with his curious whining song. While singing 

 it puffs out its plumage, and makes strange contortions with its head." 



The Bullfinch feeds on the seeds of the groundsel, chickweed, and 

 other plants, hips and haws, berries and fruits. The gardeners call 

 him 'Pick-a-bud/ because he commits sad havoc among the flower-buds 

 of the fruit-trees and gooseberry bushes. Whether he destroys them 

 to get at the insects they often contain, or for their own sakes, is a 

 Disputed point. Neville Wood believes the former to be the case, but 

 very strong evidence derived from the examination of the stomachs of 

 some of his species killed 'in the very act,' almost compels us to accept 

 the latter supposition as the correct one, although Macgillivray says 

 that, "judging from the structure of its digestive organs, it is doubtful 

 that such crude vegetable matters as buds could afford it sufficient 

 nourishment." 



The nest of the Bullfinch is usually placed at no great height from 

 the ground in a hawthorn or other bush. It is not unfrequently built 

 on the lower branches of some tree in a shrubbery. The exterior wall 

 consists of small twigs, rather loosely compacted, and it has a lining 

 of fine fibrous roots. The eggs, four or five in number, are of a bluish 

 or purplish white colour, spotted and streaked with purplish grey and 

 dark purple. They are hatched about the end of May, after an incu- 



