42 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



woven into it. Eggs. Usually 4, sometimes 5, very rarely 6 ; 

 white or creamy ground-colour, with few bold purplish-black 

 spots, each with slight penumbra, and mostly near big end. 

 Average of 100 eggs, 30.8 X 21.3 mm. Breeding-season. Generally 

 late May or early June in central Europe, rarely as early as mid- 

 May, but earlier in Spain. Incubation. Lasts about 14-15 days ; 

 male relieves female in middle of day (Naumann). One brood. 



FOOD. Insects in spring, but much fruit in autumn. Coleoptera 

 (especially cockchafers) and larvae of lepidoptera, diptera, orthop- 

 tera (grasshoppers), and hemiptera : also spiders and small 

 mollusca, cherries and mulberries, also currants, grapes, and figs. 



DISTRIBUTION. England and Wales. Spring-visitor (arriving 

 end April to mid-May). Annual in very small numbers to south- 

 east and south-west England ; irregular elsewhere, but has occurred 

 most counties. Has nested Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Northants., 

 Herts., Surrey, Devon, and especially Kent, while other records 

 are not authenticated. Scotland. A few occurrences, mostly 

 in south ; one Shetlands, one Orkneys, and noted Fair Isle spring 

 and autumn 1908, and May 1909, and spring 1913. Ireland. 

 Rare casual spring and summer- visitor, most frequent Kerry, Cork,, 

 Waterford, and Down. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Europe generally, except Norway, 

 Sweden north of 63, and Russia north of 60, to Mediterranean, 

 and in north-west Africa ; eastward to Tian-Shan and Altai, and 

 replaced by allied form in India and Turkestan. In winter in 

 tropical and southern Africa and Madagascar. 



FAMILY FRINGILLID^. 



Comprising all finch-like or " seed-eating " birds of our 

 country. Bill conical, short, and more or less stout, but very 

 variable ; cutting-edges either smooth or strongly toothed or 

 angulated. Nostrils always nearer to culmen than to cutting- 

 edge of bill and close to frontal feathers, sometimes concealed or 

 partially so. Wing with nine obvious primaries, first spurious, 

 concealed and displaced by next. Tail with twelve rectrices. 

 Tarsus scutellated in front, sides covered with unbroken plates 

 forming sharp ridge at back. Sexes different, young mostly like 

 female. Complete moult in autumn, and in certain species also a 

 partial spring-moult ; autumn -plumage often greatly changed 

 towards spring by wearing away of differently coloured edges to 

 feathers. Cosmopolitan, or nearly so. 



Key to genera of family FRINGILLID.E. 



jTips of mandibles crossing, bill laterally compressed Loxia, p. 83: 



I Tips of mandibles not crossing, bill not compressed 2 



