THE CHAFFINCHES. J5 



THE TRUE FINCHES. SUB-FAMILY II. 

 FRINGILLIN^E. 



Of this Sub-family, which contains the bulk of the birds 

 ordinarily known as " Finches," our Common Chaffinch may 

 be taken as the type. The bill is strong, ayd always more or 

 less stoutly built, but does not exhibit the robusujess of that of 

 the Grosbeaks. The nasal bones are not produced backwards 

 beyond the base of the cranium, but on looking at the skull 

 it will be seen that the angle of the chin is slightly out of 

 line with the lower mandible of the bill. In the Grosbeaks 

 the line is continuous, and in the Buntings the angle is 

 extremely well marked, so that the Finches hold an inter- 

 mediate position between the Grosbeaks and the Buntings. 



The distribution of the true Finches is very similar to that 

 of the Grosbeaks, as they are not represented in Australia or 

 in the Pacific Islands, but they are very plentiful in the northern 

 portions of the Old and New World, less so in India and 

 Africa, and again abundant in South America. 



THE CHAFFINCHES. GENUS FRINGILLA. 

 Fringilla, Linn., Syst. Nat, i., p. 318 (1766). 

 Type, F. Calebs Linn. 



Two species of the genus Fringilla occur in England, and 

 one of them, the Brambling, ranges right across Asia to 

 Japan. In Algeria, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the 

 Azores, no less than six species of Chaffinch are known, most 

 of the separate islands possessing a peculiar form of their 

 own. 



I. THE CHAFFINCH. FRINGILLA CCELEBS. 



Fringilla Calebs, Linn., S. N., i., p. 318 (1766) Macg., Br. B., 

 i., p. 329 (1837); Dresser, B. Eur., iv., p. 3, pi. 182 

 (1873) ; Newt. ed. Yarr., ii., p. 68 (1876); B. O. U. List 

 Br. B., p. 52 (1883) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., xii., p. 

 171 (1888); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. viii. (1888); 

 Saunders, Man., p. 175 (1889). 



Adult Male. Chestnut-brown ; the lesser and median wing- 

 coverts white; greater coverts black, tipped with white, forming 



D 2 



