OCTOBER 209 



How many specific predilections and traits are 

 exhibited by birds in their mode of feeding. This is 

 well-shown in the case of the chaffinch and the bull- 

 finch. While the chaffinch spends much of its time 

 upon the ground, searching for the seeds of small 

 cornfield weeds, the bullfinch is much more strictly 

 arboreal. It seldom joins the other finches upon the 

 stubbles, but finds most of its food in the hedge-rows, 

 though it will sometimes drop down to the thistle- 

 heads or to any seeding herbaceous plants, such as 

 the willow-herb and nettle, which run to about the 

 same height. Thus we have noted as included in its 

 menu the seeds of the dandelion and sorrel, the seeds 

 from the " keys " of the ash and the winged seeds of 

 the birch. It also takes the clematis seeds, nipping 

 off the feathery appendage, and is particularly fond of 

 privet-berries. The goldfinch's proclivities, as is 

 well known, lie in the direction of the thistle with all 

 its kin such as ragwort, knapweed, and teasel, while 

 the linnet's services in connection with such cruci- 

 ferous weeds as the charlock and shepherd's purse 

 scarcely need to be mentioned. The strong-billed 

 hawfinch, on the other hand, need be looked for 

 neither in field nor hedge-row. Its special taste is for 

 the nutlets of the hornbeam and it is consequently 

 a bird of woods and plantations, to be met with 

 wherever that tree occurs in any quantity. This 

 is particularly the case in the Home Counties, as 



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