THE CHAFFINCH. , 45 



fully among the twigs of trees ; but when reposing, it squats 

 on the ground as often as it perches. 



The male in the breeding plumage has the forehead imme- 

 diately at the base of the bill dusky, the crown and back of 

 the head greyish blue ; the back chestnut brown with 

 greyish yellow margins to the feathers, and the tint passing 

 into sulphur yellow on the rump, and upper tail-coverts. 

 The cheeks, neck, and throat, pale reddish brown, passing 

 into dull purplish red on the breast and flanks, and again 

 into white on the belly and vent. The wings have the lesser 

 coverts white ; the greater coverts black, but those of the 

 secondaries tipped with pale sulphur yellow ; the first three 

 quills black, with white on the margins ; the rest with their 

 bases and part of their inner webs white, and with pale 

 yellow margins on half the outer webs. The tail with two 

 grey feathers margined with yellow in the middle ; three 

 entirely black ones on each side of them ; and two without 

 those with their outer margins, and a spot on the inner web 

 of each, white. The bill is black at the tip, and bluish grey 

 at the base ; the irides are hazel, and the feet dull purplish 

 brown. The female has the upper part pale greenish brown, 

 tinged with grey, and the under part grey tinged with 

 yellowish brown. The two bars on the closed wings and 

 the margins of the quills and tail feathers are much more 

 obscure than in the male bird, the two bright bars on whose 

 closed wing are very conspicuous. 



The winter separation of sexes in the chaffinches lasts only 

 for a short time. The females separate and the males flock, 

 from October to November, according to situation, earliest 

 of course where the winter sets earliest in. The females 

 reach the south of England in great numbers, many more 

 than remain to breed there ; but there is no decisive evi- 

 dence that any of them cross the Channel and return. The 

 males also flock southward, though later, and in greater 



