THE HAWFINCH. 19 



The young Hawfinches make their appearance about the 

 beginning of May, and when capable of sustaining them- 

 selves they congregate in flocks, and are frequent visitors 

 to gardens for peas and various seeds. When inter- 

 rupted they fly off under the trees unobserved, and the 

 mischief they have done is ascribed to mice or other 

 birds. 



The note of this bird is soft, agreeable, and plaintive, 

 and in fine weather is uttered all through the winter. In 

 captivity the Hawfinch is said to imitate the song of other 

 birds, and it also makes a harsh, grinding noise with its 

 beak, something similar to the parrot. 



The Hawfinch gets very tame if reared by hand. It 

 always breeds in Sussex, and sometimes visits that county 

 in considerable numbers in winter. 



The length is about seven inches ; the bill is of a bluish 

 colour, large, pointed, and very powerful ; between the beak 

 and the eye is a black mark, meeting the black of the throat 

 in a point; iris greyish-white; head yellowish-brown ; neck 

 is crossed behind by a broad band of ash colour ; chin and 

 throat velvet black ; breast pale brown ; back dark brown, 

 changing to brownish-grey, and downwards to a yellowish- 

 brown ; the wings are about eleven inches across, and are 

 variously marked with blackish-brown, greyish-white, and 

 yellowish-brown ; some of the wing feathers are curiously 

 formed in the shape of a bill-hook or battle-axe, and the 

 quill feathers near the back are square at the ends. The 

 tail is remarkably short and black, with some markings of 

 white, the middle feathers being somewhat shorter than the 

 rest; upper tail-coverts yellowish-brown; under tail- 

 coverts white; legs, toes, and claws are brownish-red. 



The female is generally considered to be a trifle smaller 



