100 HAWFINCH. 



rump are of a light vermilion, with bluish tints ; the feathers 

 on the back and the lesser wing coverts are black, with reddish 

 edges. 



The female is generally of a greyish green, with some 

 scattered reddish and yellowish tints, principally 011 the top of 

 the head. It is not yet well known if this bird have the same 

 changes of colour as the crossbill, since more yellow ones have 

 been found than red. Experience shows that the same things 

 take place in the house as out of doors. They acquire the 

 yellow red, not only after the first moulting, but even hefore it. 

 This change begins first round the beak, descends afterwards 

 to the back and breast, and at last gradually extends over the 

 whole body, so that what was red before becomes yellow ; this 

 yellow is darker than citron ; all the red and yellow feathers 

 are ash-colour at the base. The young are brownish, with a 

 slight shade of yellow. During the first year the colour of the 

 males is light red ; it is only after this that they become darker 

 vermilion or crimson ; these birds are caught in autumn and 

 winter, either in the noose or net, with elder or service berries 

 as a lure. 



OBSERVATIONS. This bird is found in all the northern regions of Europe, 

 Asia, and America, and in Europe rarely passes the fifty-third degree of 

 latitude. It frequents the pine and fir forests, the seeds of which form its 

 food ; in winter it quits these places in search of berries ; this is what ranks 

 it among the erratic birds. They are so stupid, that in the north they are 

 easily caught with a circle of brass wire fixed to the end of a long pole, to 

 which are fastened some horse-hair rings, which are simply passed over the 

 head of the bird. They are often caught and kept in cages, as they are 

 liked, both on account of the ease with which they are tamed, and of their 

 song, which is very agreeable ; they will even sometimes sing in the night, 

 and always preserve their song through the whole year while the wild only 

 sing in the spring. 



HAWFINCH. 



Loxia coccothraustes, LiNNcs ; Le Grosbec, BUFFON ; Der geireine Kernbeisser, 



B ECKSTEIN. 



ONE must be a very great bird fancier to wish to have this 

 bird in the house. Its length is seven inches, of which the 

 tail measures two inches and a third. The beak, which is very 

 thick in proportion to the rest of the body, is like a large blunt 



