FRINGILLA. 73 



Genus FRINGILLA. 



The genus Fringilla was included by Linnaeus in 1766 in his ' Systema 

 Naturae/ i. p. 317, and the Chaffinch, the Passer fringilla of Brisson, has 

 been almost universally admitted to be the type. Subsequent writers haye 

 subdivided this genus into almost as many genera as it contains species ; 

 but there seems to be no reason why the Palsearctic species should not 

 remain in the genus in which Linn sens placed them, with the exception, 

 perhaps, of the Sparrows, to whom we may grant generic rank in deference 

 to custom. 



There appear to be no characters by which the Finches can be satisfac- 

 torily subdivided. The arbitrary selection of any one of them, whether it 

 be the shape of the bill, the general colour of the plumage, or the pattern 

 of colour on the wings and tail, would separate many species which are 

 obviously very closely allied. In this genus the majority of species have 

 the profile of the upper mandible nearly straight ; but those species in 

 which it is curved may be distinguished from the genera hitherto treated 

 of by the prevailing colour of the plumage being green and yellow. About 

 1 00 species of this genus are known, which are found throughout the New 

 World, but in the Old World are absent from the Australian and Oriental 

 regions. 



These birds are found in almost every locality, from the mountain- 

 forests to the open plains. Their food consists largely of seeds ; but in 

 summer insects and fruit are eaten. Many of these birds possess con- 

 siderable powers of song. They are gregarious in their habits, except in 

 the breeding-season. They build open nests, placing them in trees and 

 bushes at various heights from the ground. Many of the nests belonging 

 to the Finches are elaborately and very beautifully made. Their eggs vary 

 from bluish white to light green in ground-colour, spotted and blotched 

 with brown of different shades and pale grey, with the exception of the 

 Snow-Finches [Montifringilla et Leucosticte, auct.), all of which lay, so 

 far as is known, pure white eggs. 



