246 CLASS AVES. 



smaller than the rest of the brood. It is called in Holland 

 the little king. 



Though these birds have two or three broods in the year, 

 they are less numerous than the sparrows. They assemble 

 in flocks from the end of summer, remain together during 

 the winter, and often unite in this season with flocks of 

 finches, buntings, &c. They are less subtle than the sparrows, 

 and give more easily into the snares which are laid for them ; 

 but they have less docility, and are never so familiar. The 

 young ones taken from the nest may be reared with moistened 

 bread ; and when they can eat of themselves, they may be 

 given the same seed as is given to the canaries and gold- 

 finches. The tree-finch will live five or six years encaged. 

 The song of the male is nothing to speak of; but the voice 

 is naturally more agreeable than that of the sparrow. This 

 bird is also less voracious, and does not do so much mischief 

 to corn. It prefers berries, and wild grain, and also eats 

 insects. This species is extended throughout all Europe, 

 and is even found in Eastern Siberia. 



On the rest of this division we find nothing respecting 

 habits worthy of detaining the attention of the reader. We 

 proceed to the Finches. 



The Chaffinch (Fr. Coelehs) is a species generally spread 

 through Europe, from Sweden to the Gut of Gibraltar. It is 

 even found on the coast of Africa. Some of these birds 

 migrate in autumn, but this portion, it is said, is composed 

 of the females alone, while the males remain during the 

 winter in their native country. It is not impossible that 

 there may be some mistake in this, and that the males and 

 females may have been confounded together ; for, from the 

 moulting time to the month of February, and more parti- 

 cularly in autumn, the two sexes exhibit colours nearly 

 similar. At all events, it is quite certain that many females 



