CITAFFIXCII. -~0!) 



weather continues mild, and the ground free from snow ; 

 resorting 1 , upon the approach of a storm, to farm yards, and 

 other places of refuge and supply. It has been noticed by 

 several authors, that the arrival of the males, in a number 

 of our summer visitants, precedes that of the females by 

 many days ; a fact from which we might infer that in 

 such species a similar separation exists between the sexes 

 before their migration." White, in his History of Sel- 

 borne, remarks that for many years he had observed that 

 towards Christmas, vast flocks of Chaffinches appeared in 

 the fields, many more, he used to think, than could be 

 hatched in any one neighbourhood, and on observing them 

 more narrowly he was amazed to find that they appeared to 

 be almost all hens. We certainly receive a considerable 

 accession to our numbers at the great autumnal migration, 

 most probably from Sweden and Norway ; I have, how- 

 ever, reason to believe that some of the large flocks of sup- 

 posed females only, are in reality old females accompanied 

 by their young birds of that year, which in plumage resem- 

 ble females, the young males not having at that time ac- 

 quired the brilliancy of colours which renders them so con- 

 spicuous afterwards when adult. 



Their flight, like that of most of the Finches, is undu- 

 latory, and their food insects, with some young and tender 

 vegetables in spring and summer, at other seasons grain and 

 seeds. Gardeners are most of them enemies to Chaffinches, 

 on account of their partiality to early sown radishes when 

 first appearing above ground, and some few other mischievous 

 propensities. The common name of Pink by which this 

 bird is known provincially, has reference to the sound of its 

 call-note, and has its echo in several northern languages. 



The Finches generally are remarkable for the neatness 

 arid beauty of the nests they construct, and the Chaffinch is 



