28 The Food of Some British Wild Birds. 



Food of Nestlings. 



The stomach contents of the eight nestlings examined, con- 

 sisted entirely of Crane Flies and the larvae of some small moth 

 (Geometer). 



Conclusion. 



This bird is distinctly beneficial, and should be protected. 



GREENFINCH. 



Ligurinus Moris (Linn.). 



Opinions as to the economic status of the greenfinch differ 

 very widely. Archibald (4) speaks of it as feeding ''largely on 

 seeds, including corn and turnip seed. When too numerous both 

 this species and the chaffinch do considerable damage, and it may 

 be necessary to keep them within bounds. It is worthy of remark 

 in passing that an undue increase of small birds is the inevitable 

 result of exterminating such of their natural enemies as the 

 sparrow-hawk, jay, and magpie. The greenfinch co-operates with 

 other small birds in devouring the seeds of such weeds as the 

 dandelion, corn marigold, dock, plantain, goosegrass, corn crow- 

 foot, charlock, knot-grass, and wild vetch. Its young are chiefly 

 fed on insects and a few seeds, and immense quantities of moths, 

 flies, caterpillars, and other pests are captured for their susten- 

 ance.*' 



Slater (104) states that it "is only occasionally mischievous, 



when it attacks newly-sown garden seeds the mischief 



it does is triflng on the whole." 



Hooper (68) sums up its character more faithfully, he writes : 

 "This strongly built and noisy bird needs, like the chaffinch, no 

 protection; if anything, it is more destructive, and for a longer 

 period. The adult birds, like the sparrow, eat but few insects; 

 they are sometimes very destructive to sprouting crops. A field at 

 Halstead, Kent, sowed with milled sainfoin had to be ploughed up 

 owing to flocks of greenfinches taking all the seed. It eats grain 

 and large quantities of weed seeds, of which it also probably 

 distributes many. Mr. L. H. Page, of Sittingbourne, eays it 

 eats the seeds of strawberries when ripe. It does not eat fruit, but 

 accompanies the sparrow destroying buds ; it also picks blooms to 

 pieces. It is terribly destructive in pulling hop flowers to pieces 

 to get at the seeds, and comes in large flocks and litters the ground 

 with the flower bracts of the hop." 



Theobald (109) states that this bird is a great destroyer of 

 fruit blossoms. 



Forty-two adults and thirteen nestlings have been examined. 



