THE FINCH FAMILY. 71 



In those districts of Surrey where peas are grown, 

 hawfinches are a perfect plague, more especially if 

 wood or copse lands are near. 



The hawfinch, once seen, will be remembered. 

 He is a stoutly built bird with a very large and 

 powerful bill. A child friend remarked he had a 

 very large nose. His appearance reminds one at 

 times of a small parrot, and again, he looks exceed- 

 ingly pedantic. The delicate tints of his plumage 

 (light reddish-brown, dark brown, grey, black and 

 white) are well blended. The wings when open are 

 beautiful, some of the feathers being in the form of 

 an ancient battle - axe, reflecting tints of blue and 

 green. 



Before field naturalists became so common, the 

 hawfinch, or " haw grosbeak," was considered a 

 rare bird in many localities. It is certainly a very 

 shy and retiring one, watchful and quick in all its 

 movements. For this reason it is seldom seen by 

 those who search for it for ornithological purposes. 

 It breeds freely round the neighbourhood of Dork- 

 ing a fact which is continually being proved by 

 the great number of young birds that are found 

 there in various states of nestling plumage ; some 



