BIRDS. 63 



grain from the ear, in which process they at the same 

 time do damage by breaking down the haulms so 

 that the grain falls out. They pick the young peas 

 from their pods ; devour, too, several juicy tree fruits, 

 e.g. cherries and grapes; and destroy young garden 

 seedlings, e.g. lettuce, spinach, garden flowers. The 

 house sparrow eats more insects than the tree sparrow 

 (among them — geometer caterpillars, injurious roller 

 caterpillars), but leaves the most noxious kinds un- 

 touched. Both sparrows are residents, but in autumn 

 and winter often collect together in large flocks. 



The linnet (Linota cannabina), 



with grey-brown darkly spotted back. Belly whitish, 

 tail black with broad white margins. During summer 

 the top of the head and the breast of the male are 

 of a beautiful red. They are often found together in 

 flocks during September. In spring and summer they 

 chiefly live on oil-containing seeds, and may even do 

 some good by eating the seeds of charlock ; usually, 

 however, doing much more harm by devouring the 

 seed of rape, flax, linseed, and hemp. 



The Chaffinch {Fringilla ccelebs). 



A white patch on the two outermost tail feathers and 

 the ones next them. Wings with one white and one 

 yellowish transverse band. Male : upper side of head 

 and neck bluish grej"-, back brown, breast reddish brown. 

 Female : back grey-brown, belly whitish, breast ash- 

 grey. The chaffinch inhabits forests, both those of 

 ordinary foliage trees and those consisting of conifers ; 

 it also nests in gardens and plantations. At the 

 beginning of September the males separate from the 

 females, and both sexes collect in large flocks which 

 haunt gardens, avenues, and bushes. In mild winters 

 they remain resident, but travel away if the cold is 

 greater. The chaffinch devours oil-containing seeds 

 by preference, but also eats starchy ones, and seeks its 



