FRINGILLIDjE. 189 



orange." Mention of a black variety of Sparrow is 

 made also at p. 9531 of the 'Zoologist' of the same 

 year. 



The egg is much like that of the Tree Sparrow, 

 but somewhat larger: it is somewhat subject to 

 varieties, but the general colour is a white ground 

 with numerous dusky spots ; some are much more 

 thickly and not so distinctly spotted, so as almost to 

 hide the ground-colour and to give the whole a sort 

 of grey appearance. 



GREENFINCH, Coccothraustes Moris. The Green- 

 finch, or " Green Linnet," as it is perhaps more 

 commonly called about here, is another very 

 common bird, and is resident all the year. Like 

 others of the Conirostres it does some damage by 

 devouring corn round the hedges before it is cut, and 

 afterwards from the ricks, if they are sufficiently 

 loosely put up to allow it to do so : it also picks up 

 some garden- seeds, but, on the other hand, destroys 

 a good many insects. 



M. Prevost's list of the food of this bird is as 

 follows : " January, seeds, berries, wild fruit sand 

 worms; February, the same; March, the same; 

 April, the same and insects ; May, the same ; June, 

 the same ; July, the same ; August, the same ; Sep- 

 tember, seeds, berries, wild fruit and worms ; Octo- 

 ber, the same ; November, the same ; December, the 

 same." This list resolves itself into seeds, berries, 

 wild fruit and worms, throughout the year, with the 



