THE BIRDS. 



543 



which they use their feet as organs of prehension, holding the food in 

 their feet whilst they take it with their beak. 



The Hawfinch (Fringilla Coccothraustes, fig. 1168) visits us and 

 probably occasionally breeds. An adult bird which was killed by 

 flying against the orchard-house, appeared from the state of its 

 plumage to have been nesting. The Greenfinch (Fringilla Chloris, 



fig. 1169) also visits us in numbers. 



Ben Jonson says, "The finches' carol." 



FIG. 1168. Hawfinch, Jth nat. size. 



FIG. 1169. Greenfinch. 



The irrepressible House Sparrow (Fringilla domestica, fig. 1170) 

 occasionally comes in large flocks, and then leaves us again. They 

 do the garden little, if any, damage; though they know the time for 

 feeding the poultry, when they always come down for their share. 



FIG. 1170. House Sparrow. 



FIG. 1171. Chaffinch. 



We have the Tree Sparrow (Fringilla montana} and the Chaffinch 

 (Fringilla ccelebs, fig. 1171). The chaffinch arrives in large numbers 

 in severe weather, but I cannot endorse the opinion of the Thurin- 

 gians, who consider it to be the best of all singing birds. We have 

 also at times the Yellow-hammer (Etnberiza citrinclla}. 



