Till-: CHAFFINCH. 95 



THE CHAFFINCH. 



TIIK Chaffinch is an oddly coated, sprightly fellow. In order to hear his song in 

 perfection, one must visit the country where he is so highly respected. That must 

 be a valuable bird when a poor man cheerfully gives up his cow in exchange for 

 one known to be perfect in song. Yet it is said that instances of the kind are not 

 infrequent in Thuringia, where the bird is prized above all songsters. He is not so 

 highly esteemed in America, because one is rarely imported of the above value. 

 In England singing-matches are held by owners of these birds, in order to decide 

 their respective merits. In certain parts of Germany one is rarely heard in his 

 wild state in perfect song, because of the craze for them. Bird-trappers will travel 

 miles for them, and spend many weary hours in endeavoring to trap one if he 

 ventures near where his song may be heard. 



The Chaffinch is about six inches and a half in length. The beak is conical,, 

 and is white in winter ; but, at the time of mating, it turns blue, and remains so until 

 moulting season. As the bird commences to sing at the time of mating, the color 

 of the beak is an indication as to whether the bird is in song or not. The cheeks, 

 throat, breast, and belly are a reddish chestnut brown, tinged with a lighter shade 

 toward the vent. The forehead is black, the nape of the neck grayish blue, and in 

 old birds a darker shade of blue. The upper part of the back is chestnut brown, 

 tinged with olive green : the lower part of the back is light green. 



The female, being smaller, is easily distinguished from the male ; and the bright 

 colors on the upper part of the male's body are replaced by a grayish brown, and 

 on "the breast by a reddish gray. The Chaffinch is an inhabitant of all parts of 

 Europe, but is most common in Germany. They are migratory birds, and begin to 

 arrive in March ; the males arriving some time in advance of the females, which has 

 gained for them the name of bachelor birds. This earlier arrival is also taken 

 advantage of by the bird-catchers, who are sure of not encumbering their traps with 

 unmarketable females. The bird's chief value, undoubtedly, lies in his song, which 

 is distinguished from all other birds' by the near approach to the articulation of 

 speech. The natural wild song is greatly enhanced by instruction, which the bird 

 is obliged to undergo in order to become perfect : one of these trained singers is 

 often hung in a room with a number of young birds, which receive a regular course 

 of instruction, and are afterwards perfected still more if they are capable. Bech- 

 stein enumerates no less than thirteen different varieties of song which these birds 

 are able to produce, some singing as many as four of them. The highest prized of 

 all the songs is termed the "double trill" of the Harz. It consists of five long 

 passages, or strains, and ends in a double-syllabled word, which is dwelt upon at 



