Passeres 77 



but can readily be distinguished from, those of the 

 Linnet. They change their feeding-grounds continually 

 and are strong on the wing, yet they can hardly be 

 caUed shy, and are fairly tame in the breeding season. 

 The male of this smallest of our Finches is a pretty 

 httle brown bird with black throat, red crown and 

 breast, and pinkish rump ; the female has no red save 

 on the head, and even this is lacking in the young. 

 The nest, placed in a tall hedge, a shrub, or a low 

 growth of poplar, alder, willow or hazel, is even prettier 

 than the builder, being composed of grass, moss, and 

 wool, thickly lined with willow or poplar down, where 

 such is obtainable ; the half-dozen eggs are of a darker 

 greenish blue than in the Linnets, and have rufous 

 blotches. This species nests locally from the Orkneys 

 and Inner Hebrides to the south of England and Ireland, 

 while abroad it is by some considered to range over 

 western and central Europe. But here again the 

 question of forms makes a definite statement dangerous. 

 It certainly breeds in the Alps. 



The Mealy Redpoll proper {A. linaria) migrates to 

 our northern and north-eastern coasts from the far 

 north after breeding ; it is most common in hard 

 winters, and is little seen south of Yorkshire, though 

 when it does come it generally comes in flocks ; in 

 the west and in Ireland it is rare. It is a larger and 

 much lighter bird than the last species, being streaked 

 with white above ; in habits, however, it hardly differs, 

 allowing for any changes due to a residence in the 

 extreme north of Europe, Asia, and America ; down is 

 there less easy to procure for the nest, which is a little 

 larger, as are the eggs. 



The Bullfinch {Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is so well known 



