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THE BULLFINCH. 



THE Bullfinch is a peculiar yet very handsome bird. 

 You can never confound him with any other Finch, for 

 his bright red breast, jet black head, and beautiful blue 

 upper plumage of silky texture, and the metallic gloss 

 of his blue-black tail, and the white patch on the rump, 

 make him a bird easily recognised. In form, too, he 

 differs considerably from the birds known as Finches. 

 His beak is shaped more like the Parrot's, with which he 

 can readily feed on the various berries, and his head is 

 more square-looking, and puts you in mind of the 

 Hawk's. 



The Bullfinch is a bird loving retirement. In 

 summer he frequents the densest thickets, and the 

 gloomy evergreens in the shrubberies, and as we wander 

 through these situations we are seldom fortunate 

 enough to catch more than a hurried view of him as 

 he retreats still further into the shade. However, we 

 ofttimes get a view of him in the winter time, when the 

 trees and hedgerows are leafless, and he is searching 



