174 GOLDFINCH. 
well as flocks which have arrived from the Continent, cross the 
Channel in October, and return northward in April. 
South of about 64° N. lat. in Norway, and 60° in the Ural 
Mountains, the Goldfinch is found breeding throughout Europe, 
although rare in the north; while in Spain and other southern 
countries it is exceedingly abundant and very bright in colour. It 
is a resident in Madeira, the Canaries and Northern Africa ; visits 
Egypt in winter; and ranges eastward to Persia. There, and 
generally to the east of the line of the Urals, we find a larger form, 
known as C. major, with nearly white rump and flanks; and in 
Southern Siberia this meets and interbreeds with C. caniceps, which 
has no black on the crown and nape, but more white on the wing. 
The compact nest—like that of the Chaffinch, but smaller, neater, 
of finer materials, and without the conspicuous lichens—is built 
about the middle of May, and is often placed in a fork of a fruit- 
tree or a horse-chestnut ; sometimes in a hedge or evergreen shrub. 
The 4-5 eggs are greyish-white, spotted and streaked with purplish- 
brown: measurements ‘66 by ‘5 in. Two broods are produced in 
the year, and young have been found in the nest in September. At 
first they are fed with insects and their larve : but later the principal 
food consists of seeds of the thistle, knapweed, groundsel, dock and 
other plants. The song of this favourite cage-bird is well known ; 
its call-note is a sharp ¢w7t. In captivity it breeds with several 
other species of Finch. 
Adult male: feathers at the base of the bill and lores black ; fore- 
head and throat glossy crimson-red ; cheeks and lower throat white ; 
crown and the parts behind the cheeks black ; on the nape a narrow 
line of white ; back wood-brown ; wings black, tipped with white on 
the inner quills and barred with bright yellow; tail-coverts white 
with black bases; the three outer pairs of tail-feathers black with white 
central spots, the remainder black, tipped with white; breast white, 
banded with brownish-buff, with a yellow tint posteriorly; flanks 
buff ; belly and under tail-coverts white ; bill whitish with a black 
tip; legs and feet pale flesh-colour. Length 5 in.; wing 3in. In less 
mature males, only the 1st and 2nd pairs of tail-feathers have white 
spots. The female has a more slender bill and less crimson on the 
throat. The young, known as “grey-pates,” “bald-pates” and 
“‘branchers,” are greyish-brown on the upper parts; the wing tips 
are buffish-white, and only the outer pair of tail-feathers show the 
white spot. Some birds, called ‘ cheverels,” have the throat white i 
examples from Morocco have the back isabelline, and there are 
several other varieties. 
