GREENFINCH. 77 



with Sparrows. They may be seen hovering above the grass, catching the 

 small flies, but chiefly feeding upon the seeds of the grasses. As the year 

 advances, and the grain-fields assume their golden tints, these flocks of 

 Greenfinches are joined by the old birds, together with those of the later 

 broods. In winter Greenfinches flock in company with Buntings, and 

 frequent the newly sown fields. At this season they flock in considerable 

 numbers to the shrubberies to roost, and sometimes, ere they settle, per- 

 form various wheeling motions in the air. The flight of the Greenfinch is 

 undulating ; and although the bird is somewhat heavy-looking, it has no 

 small power over itself in the air. 



The Greenfinch is, like most other Finches, partly granivorous and 

 partly insectivorous. The bird feeds almost as much on grain as the 

 Sparrow, and would be equally as destructive to the crops if its numbers 

 were at all proportionate. But the amount of noxious seeds this bird 

 devours is enormous, and amply repays any trifling loss of grain the 

 farmer may suffer. It does not appear to feed so much on fruit as 

 the Sparrow ; but it will eat several kinds of berries, and is fond of the 

 buds of trees. In winter it often makes its appearance in the stackyard, 

 and is frequently flushed in straggling parties from the stubbles, where 

 the objects of its search are small seeds of various kinds. 



The Greenfinch is a resident bird in this country ; but its numbers are 

 increased in autumn by large flocks from the continent, which make their 

 appearance principally on the eastern and southern coasts. It has often 

 been observed that a considerable separation of the sexes takes place in 

 winter; but this is not so marked as that which takes place with the 

 Chaffinch. The birds of the year and the females flock together, with only 

 a sprinkling of old males, whilst other and smaller flocks are composed 

 almost entirely of old males. These flocks do not break up sometimes 

 until very late in the year ; and Mr. Cordeaux remarks that he has seen 

 them feeding on the marshes of the Humber in the first week of June. 

 The Greenfinch is frequently kept in confinement, and is said to be more 

 hardy than most birds ; but its powers of song are never great, and it 

 learns slowly. Greenfinches are often crossed with Canaries ; and hybrids 

 of this bird and the Brown or Common Linnet are sometimes caught in a 

 wild state. A hybrid of this description will be more fully noticed in the 

 article on the Linnet. 



The adult male Greenfinch has the general colour of the plumage bright 

 yellowish green, brightest on the rump, and shading into slate-grey on the 

 flanks and lower belly, and into yellowish white on the under tail-coverts. 

 The crown, the sides of the head and neck, the throat and breast, the 

 margins of the secondaries and greater wing-coverts are more or less slate- 

 grey; the wing* arc brownish black, the basal half of the outer web of 

 the primaries broadly margined with bright yellow. All the two central 



