CHAFFINCH. 53 



other granivorous birds in the stubble lands as long as the 

 weather continues mild and the ground free from snow; 

 resorting, upon the approach of winter, to farm-yards and 

 other places of refuge and supply. He adds that 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 males and 

 the females before their migration. When at school, at 

 Bromsgrove, in Worcestershire, I noticed this fact, I mean 

 as regards the Chaffinch, myself. There the hen birds used 

 to be met with in large flocks in the winter months, and 

 also, I am nearly certain, the male birds likewise in. flocks 

 by themselves. I am inclined to think that this is most the 

 case in severe winters. 



The Eev. Gilbert White, in his 'Natural History of Sel- 

 borne,' Hampshire, remarked the same thing, the large flocks 

 to be met with in hard weather being almost, but not quite, 

 exclusively composed of females. Linnaeus, in his 'Fauna of 

 Sweden,' records his observation of the like circumstance there, 

 and says that the female Chaffinches migrate from that 

 country in the winter, but that the males do not. Hence 

 the assignment by him to this species of its specific Latin 

 name, equivalent to our Bachelor. 



With the advance of spring, however, our bird becomes 

 'Cselebs in search of a wife;' nor does he seek in vain, for in 

 every lane in the country that is lined with trees, a 'happy 

 pair' are to be seen; the absurdities of Malthus and Miss 

 Martineau to whom I wish no worse than that she may 

 remain to the end of her days in 'Single Blessedness' 

 weighing not a feather in the scale with them against the 

 Divine Edict which Nature publishes to them, 'Encrease and 

 multiply.' With regard, however, to the observations of 

 Linnaeus, Professor Nillson, of Sweden, says that although but 

 few Chaffinches remain in that country during winter, they 

 are not males only. But, doubtless, the fact as stated by 

 the former great author, must still remain, at all events to 

 some degree, the same as when he recorded it, and this would 

 partially account for the enlarged numbers of females to be 

 seen with us in winter in the flocks already spoken of. 



In autumn these birds become gregarious, frequenting 

 hedge-rows and stubble fields, where they unite with com- 

 panions of various other species, whose similar pursuits lead 



