Movements of Finches. 299 
gone to? In the middle of the fields of stubble there 
were flocks of sparrows—almost innumerable sparrows 
—and some finches, but not, apparently, enough to 
account for all that had left the hedges and trees. 
That may be explained by their being scattered over 
so many broad acres—miles of arable land being open 
to them. 
But the migration from the hedgerows was very 
marked. They became quite empty and silent about 
the middle of September. This state of things con- 
tinued for littke more than a week—meaning the 
absolute silence—then a bird or two appeared in places 
at long intervals. They now came back rapidly, till, 
on the 28th, the ‘fink, chink’ of the finches sounded 
almost as merrily as before. The greenfinches flew 
from tree to tree in parties of four, six, or more, calling 
to each other in their happy confidential way. On 
that day the trees and hedges seemed to become quite 
populous again with finches. The sparrows, too, were 
busy in the roads once more. For a week previously 
every now and then a single lark might be heard 
singing for a few minutes: they had been silent 
before. On the 28th half-a-dozen could be heard 
singing at once, and now and then a couple might be 
seen chasing each other as if full of gaiety. It was 
indeed almost like a second spring: at the same 
time a few buttercups bloomed, to add to the illusion. 
This migration of the finches from the hedgerows 
out into the fields, and their coming back, is very strik- 
