THE HAWFINCH. 191 



freely in the company of Canaries; and as they are good 

 sitters, Canaries' eggs are often put under them. 



Like Goldfinches and Siskins, they may be accustomed to 

 drawing up their own water. 



ADDITIONAL. This bird, which is nearly allied to the Gros- 

 beaks in many respects, is called by some naturalists the Green 

 Grosbeak ; it is generally distributed over the cultivated parts 

 of England, Ireland, and Scotland, where it is a permanent re- 

 sident, only changing the ground occasionally, to obtain a shel- 

 tered situation in severe weather. It is said, by NEVILLE WOOD, 

 to be a late breeder, the first eggs being laid about the middle of 

 May ; SELBY says at the end of that month ; and WOOD conti- 

 nues : " It pays remarkable attention to its progeny ; and though 

 it never attempts to lead the intruder from its nest, the parents 

 make the most unceasing wailings when any one is near, or 

 when the young are carried off, sometimes fluttering close to your 

 head, and endeavouring to annoy you in every possible way. The 

 young do not quit the cradle until fairly fledged, and often dart 

 out simultaneously when any one approaches. They are mostly 

 fed on green caterpillars and small insects, of which the species 

 destroy immense numbers at this period. It would appear that 

 authors are wholly unaware of its insectivorous habits ; and in 

 PARTINGTON'S Cyclopedia, of Natural History, it is expressly 

 stated, that the young of the Green Grosbeak are fed entirely on 

 seeds, which is quite a mistake." This author has noticed that 

 in the flocks of these birds which collect at the commencement 

 of winter, out of twenty or thirty birds, only one will be a male ; 

 and infers from this, that the sexes separate at the inclement 

 season, and that the males either quit the country or make a 

 partial migration. 



70. THE HAWFINCH. 



LoxiaCoccothraustes, LIN. Grosbec,Buv. DerGememe Kernbelsser, BECH. 

 Description. Only a passionate lover of birds would wish to 

 keep this species. It is seven inches long, of which the tail 

 measures two inches and one-third. Its beak is round, blunt, 

 conical, and, in proportion to its body, thick ; in summer it is 

 dark blue, in winter blackish at the point, but otherwise flesh- 

 coloured. The iris is light grey ; the feet are nine lines high, 

 slender, and flesh-coloured. The top of the head, the cheeks, and 

 the tail coverts, are a light chestnut, inclining to a yellowish brown 

 on the forehead ; the nape of the neck is a beautiful ashen grey ; 

 the circle of the head is black, forming a square black spot oa 



