74 BRITISH BIRDS. 



FRINGILLA CHLORIS. 

 GREENFINCH, 



(PLATE 12.) 



Passer chloris, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 190 (1700) ; et auctorum plurimorum (Scopoh), 

 (Latham), (Gmelin), (Bonaparte), (Temminck), (Degland 8f Gerbe), (Salvadon), 

 (Neivtori), (Dresser), &c. 



Loxia chloris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 304 (1766). 



Fringilla chloris (Briss.}, Meyer, Vog. Liv- und Esthl. p. 76 (1815). 



Ligurinus chloris (Briss.), Koch, Syst. baier. Zool. p. 230 (1816). 



Serinus chloris (Briss.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 555. 



Ligurinus chloroticus, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 46 (1823). 



Coccothraustes chloris (Briss.), Steph. Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 87 (1826). 



Chloris flavigaster, Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 281 (1837). 



Chlorospiza chloris (Briss.), Bonap. Comp. List B. Eur. $ N. Amer. p. 30 (1838). 



Chlorospiza chlorotica (Licht.), Bonap. Consp. i. p. 514 (1850). 



Ligurinus aurantiiventris, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 158 (1851). 



Chloris aurantiiventris (Cab), Salvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 313. 



The Greenfinch is a lover of well-cultivated districts, and in such 

 is commonly distributed throughout the British Islands, including the 

 Channel Islands. It is as widely distributed in Scotland as in England, 

 and, according to Mr. Gray, is a permanent resident from north to south. 

 It is found, according to that naturalist, in the Outer Hebrides in such 

 districts as are suited to it ; and in many of the inner islands it is equally 

 common. Large flocks of this bird are now often found on the Shetlands, 

 where, within the last few years, it has become a regular winter visitor, 

 though formerly it was very rare there. It is also well known as a winter 

 visitor to the Orkneys, and has occurred on the Faroes several times in 

 winter. In Ireland it is as well distributed and common in suitable dis- 

 tricts as in the rest of the United Kingdom. 



The Greenfinch breeds throughout Europe, in Norway extending as far 

 north as lat. 65, and in the Urals as far as lat. 60. It is also a common 

 resident in North-west Africa, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus, extending 

 into North-west Persia and North-west Turkestan. To Palestine it is 

 only known as a winter visitor; and to Madeira it is only a straggler. 

 Examples from the extreme southern portions of its range are said to be 

 more brilliant in colour and to have a larger bill. They have been de- 

 scribed as distinct under the name of F. chlorotica ; but these differences 

 are merely climatic, the colours being most brilliant in examples from 

 districts where the rainfall is small, and dullest in those from moister 

 climates. 



The Greenfinch does not appear to have any near ally in Central Asia ; 



