THE BULLFINCH. 181 



enquiries respecting these birds, during excursions m Scotland, 

 but cannot learn that the nest has ever been found ; and indeed, 

 from the intelligence obtained from gamekeepers, and those most 

 likely to have made observations connected with ornithology, it 

 appears that they are very rarely seen, and can only be regarded 

 as occasional visitants/' 



68. THE BULLFINCH. 



Loxia Pyrrhula, LIN. Bouvreuil, BUF. Der Gimpel oder Dohmp- 

 faffe, BECH. 



Description. This favourite bird is, like most of the species 

 to which it belongs, somewhat thick in proportion to its length, 

 which is six inches and three quarters, of which the tail 

 measures two and three quarters. The beak is half an inch 

 long, black, short, and thick ; the iris is chestnut brown ; the 

 feet weak and black ; the shanks eight lines high. The top of 

 the head, the circle round the beak, the chin, and the upper part 

 of the throat are a shining velvety black. The throat, back, 

 and shoulders are dark grey ; the rump beautifully white ; the 

 breast and the upper part of the belly a beautiful crimson, 

 which grows darker as the bird advances in age. The remain- 

 ing portion of the lower part of the body is white. The pen 

 feathers are blackish, and darker in proportion as they are near 

 the body ; the hindmost being externally bordered with steel 

 blue, and the last having the outer plume red. The larger 

 wing coverts are a glittering black, tipped with reddish grey ; 

 the centre, an ashen grey ; the lesser blackish grey, edged with 

 red. The tail is somewhat forked, and steel blue, shining with 

 a black lustre. 



The female may be distinguished from the male, by the fact 

 that she is smaller ; that the red portions of her plumage are 

 strongly tinged with grey ; that the back is brownish grey ; 

 and the feet lighter in colour. 



There are some singular varieties of this species, which, 

 however, are chiefly found in the aviary : 



1. The White Bullfinch ; which is greyish white, or quite 

 white, with a few dark spots upon the back. 



2. The Black Bullfinch. These are usually females, which 

 have been kept when young in a dark place ; or have acquired 

 the colour in old age, by being fed too exclusively on hempseed. 

 Some, at moulting, resume their original colours, others remain 



