Birds of Britain 



pure white and somewhat pear-shaped. When the breeding 

 season is over they scatter through the country, keeping 

 largely to the courses of large rivers, and by the end of 

 September have almost all departed to other climes. 



The sexes are alike and have the upper parts brown. 

 The under parts are white, with the exception of a brown 

 pectoral band. There is a small tuft of buff-coloured 

 feathers above the hind toe. In the young the feathers of 

 the back have pale margins. Length 4 '8 in. ; wing 4 in. 



THE GREENFINCH 



Ligurinus chloris (Linnaeus) 



Were it not so common, occurring abundantly through- 

 out these islands, this bird would be appreciated as one 

 of our prettiest songsters and by no means unattractive in 

 plumage. 



The winter is spent in company with other Finches and 

 Buntings in the fields or stackyards, where it feeds on the 

 grain and other seeds, and we must confess that it performs 

 its share in despoiling the farmer of his hard-earned 

 produce, paying at the same time a sort of compensation in 

 the destruction of numerous weeds. It is resident, and 

 towards the middle of April constructs a somewhat untidy 

 nest of twigs, rootlets, and moss, lined with grass, hair, and 

 feathers, usually placed at a moderate height in a hedge, 

 against the bole of a tree, or more rarely among ivy against 

 a wall. The eggs, six in number, are large for the size of 



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