BRITISH SONG-BIRDS. 205 



to be distinguished from the moss-grown branch 

 on which it is placed, and therefore very impercep- 

 tible to a common eye. It is lined with soft wool, 

 hair, and feathers, and contains from foui* to five 

 eggs of a dii-ty reddish-white, streaked and speck- 

 led towards the larger end with an umber-brown. 

 In general only four bu'ds are hatched, and they 

 are fed, when young, with caterpillars, small worms, 

 aphidse, &c. 



Description and Plumage. 



The plumage of the chaffinch is beautiful, but 

 not gaudy. Lengtli rather more than five and a 

 half inches; bill, pale bluish-grey tipt with black; 

 eyes, umber-brown; forehead, very deep bluish- 

 black; crown of the head, back part, and sides of 

 tlie neck, ash-grey, inclining to pearl-grey; round 

 \he eyes, cheeks, sides of the neck and throat, pale 

 reMish-orange; breast, very pale aurora-red, pass- 

 ing into dingy peach-blossom red; lower parts, 

 towards th? tail, reddish-white; upper part of the 

 back, yellowigi^ -brown; lower part, and tail-coverts, 

 oil-green, passin^: into pale sulphur-yellow; the 

 spurious wing, and .o verts of the primary quills, 

 velvet-black : there is a large broad patch of snow- 



