CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 2. PASSERES. 



177 



form of the heads and bills ; they occur in both hemispheres, principally in temperate countries, and 

 feed upon seeds, the hardest sliells of which are seldom able to resist the force of their firm, strong bills. 

 Genus PYRRHULA : Pyrrhula. — The Common Bull-Finch of Eiu-ope — BouvrcuU of the 

 French; Gimjxl of the Germans— P. Vulgaris is seven inches long; the top of the head 

 \and the under part of the chin a velvety black ; the throat, back, and shoulders gray; the 

 rump white ; the breast crimson ; the lower parts white. There are white., blacky and sijeckled 

 varieties ; hybrids with canaries are often produced. It is a robust and clumsy-lookino- bird ; 

 conceals its nest in furze or hedges; lays from two to six bluish-white eggs; feeds on seeds of 

 ash, maple, beech, and furze ; also on the seeds of weeds and gi-asses, and on the buds of trees, 

 thus often doing great damage. On account of this habit it is called Pick-a-bud in England, 

 where it is also called Coal-hood, Red-hoop, Tony-hoop, Alp, Pope, Nojje, (t:c. In confinement it 

 is a docile bird, and though its natural note is harsh as the creaking of a door or wheelbarrow it 

 may be trained to whistle many airs in a soft, pure, and flute-like tone. It is very common in 

 England, and we see it often referred to in English books • it is found throughout Europe at all 

 seasons. 









TIIU PINE-GROSBEAK. 



The Pine Pull-Finch or Pine GrosbejMv — the BouvrcuU Duc-hcc of the French ; P. enu- 

 cleator of Yarrell ; the Corythus cnucleator of Audubon and De Kay — is eight and a half inches 

 long; general colors bright carmine, with a vermilion tinge; that of the female yellowish-brown 

 above; beneath ash-gray. It is found in the northern parts of both continents. It resembles 

 the bull-finches in its form, and the cross-bills in some of its habits. It feeds on the seeds and 

 buds of various kinds of trees ; builds a nest of sticks on the branch of a tree, lining it with 

 feathers; the eggs are four or five. It breeds in this country from Maine northward; in severe 

 seasons it comes southward in small flocks, sometimes abundantly as far as Massachusetts, and 

 more rarely as far as Pennsylvania. The appearance of a flock of these birds, the males witli 

 their splendid red attire, and the females with their more sober but still beautiful plumage, is 

 quite striking. They are excellent food. The male has a pleasing song, and in confinement will 

 often sing at night. 



G^fnws LOXIA : Loxia. — To this belong the Common European Cross-Bill — Bee croise of 

 the French — L. c^irvirostro, which has a strong bill, the mandibles of which are crescent-shaped, 

 arid cross each other at the points. It inhabits the northern regions of Europe, and lives princi- 

 pally in the forests of fir ; it feeds on pine-cones, and also on the seeds and mits of other trees,, 

 its bill enabling it to break the shells of these with facility. It is nearly seven inches longi, 

 and is subject to great changes of color, the males of a year old being red, and those that are older 

 of a greenish-yellow, spotted with white, and having a grayish tinge over the whole plum-^ge. These 

 birds move southward ia winter, and are periodically seen in considerable flocks in Eng'and. 



Vol. it.— 23 



