32 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



from the Continent. A large migration takes place to the 

 east coast in autumn, and on the south coast there is also 

 a regular migration every spring and autumn. Birds caught 

 on passage at these seasons are brighter in colour than the 

 resident British birds, which are, as in many other instances, 

 more dingy than their continental representatives. 



Range outside the British Islands. Throughout the whole of 

 Europe, up to 65 N. lat. in Scandinavia and to 60 in the 

 Ural Mountains. Its breeding range extends to about long. 

 70, and it is found as far as North-western Persia and North- 

 west Turkestan. In the southern portion of its range the Green- 

 finch is a much smaller and more brilliantly coloured bird than 

 in the north, and has been recognised as a species (C. aurantii- 

 ventris) by some writers. 



Habits. In summer the Greenfinch is somewhat shy, but in 

 winter it is found in flocks in the fields and farmyards along 

 with Sparrows and Chaffinches. The song of the Greenfinch 

 is generally described as poor, but we have more than once 

 heard a male, during the nesting season, giving forth a song 

 not much inferior to that of a Canary. Its general food con- 

 sists of seeds and grain, but it also devours quantities of 

 insects, especially when bringing up its young, which are 

 largely fed upon caterpillars. 



Nest. Most commonly to be found in shrubberies and ever- 

 green trees, but not unfrequently found in woods far from any 

 habitation, and occasionally in unexpected situations, as in a 

 hollow at the top of a gate-post. Several nests have been 

 found in close proximity to each other. The nest is rather a 

 carelessly built structure, composed of moss with a few twigs 

 and rootlets, the lining consisting of horse-hair and a few 

 feathers. 



Eggs. Four to six. They vary very much in size and mark- 

 ings. The ground-colour is white or bluish white, and the 

 spots are pinkish, generally at the larger end, with larger out- 

 lying blackish spots or small blotches, with occasionally a linear 

 streak of the same colour. Axis, 0-75-0-9; diam., 0-55-0-6 

 inch. Small eggs of the Greenfinch are often difficult to dis- 

 tinguish from those of the common Linnet. 



