CHAFFINCH. 509 
weather continues mild, and the ground free from snow ; 
resorting, upon the approach of a storm, to farm yards, and 
other places of refuge and supply. It has been noticed by 
several authors, that the arrival of the males, in a number 
of our summer visitants, precedes that of the females by 
many days;—a fact from which we might infer that in 
such species a similar separation exists between the sexes 
before their migration.” White, in his History of Sel- 
borne, remarks that for many years he had observed that 
towards Christmas, vast flocks of Chaffinches appeared in 
the fields, many more, he used to think, than could be 
hatched in any one neighbourhood, and on observing them 
more narrowly he was amazed to find that they appeared to 
be almost all hens. We certainly receive a considerable 
accession to our numbers at the great autumnal migration, 
most probably from Sweden and Norway; I have, how- 
ever, reason to believe that some of the large flocks of sup- 
posed females only, are in reality old females accompanied 
by their young birds of that year, which in plumage resem- 
ble females, the young males not having at that time ac- 
quired the brilliancy of colours which renders them so con- 
spicuous afterwards when adult. 
Their flight, like that of most of the Finches, is undu- 
latory, and their food insects, with some young and tender 
vegetables in spring and summer, at other seasons grain and 
seeds. Gardeners are most of them enemies to Chaffinches,. 
on account of their partiality to early sown radishes when 
first appearing above ground, and some few other mischievous 
propensities. ‘The common name of Pink by which this 
bird is known proyincially, has reference to the sound of its 
call-note, and has its echo in several northern languages. 
The Finches generally are remarkable for the neatness 
and beauty of the nests they construct, and the Chaffinch is 
