CHAFFINCH.— BRAMBLING. 123 



remarkable habit of walking along a horizontal bough, and 

 may be often seen springing up from a high branch into the 

 air and pursuing an insect, very much ia the mannsr of a 

 Flycatcher. It may be frequently seen on the road in search 

 of food, and in the summer builds an extremely elegant nest, 

 generally well matched in colour with surrounding objects, 

 and composed of moss and wool, or any soft material, orna- 

 menting the exterior with pieces of white lichen, or now and 

 then a flake of birch bark, lining it neatly with hair and 

 feathers. It is disliked by. gardeners from its propensity to 

 pick up the seeds from the radish-beds, and its eating the bads 

 of the early vegetables when just springing from the ground. 

 It is also very destructive to primroses and crocuses, com- 

 pensating greatly, however, for these injuries, by destroying 

 a vast number of leaf-rolling caterpillars, and insects which 

 infest our apple and other fruit-trees, and by devouring great 

 quantities of seeds of plants injurious to the farmer. It also 

 feeds its young principally on insects and their larvae. 



In the winter it assembles in large flocks, often, but not 

 always, of only one sex. 



BRAMBLING. 



Fringilla montifringilla. 



The Brambling is an autumn visitant, occasionally remaining 

 late into the spring. It is most abundant in very severe 

 winters, and is found, either singly, or in small parties, feed- 

 ing round the corn-stacks, showing preference for oats. 

 Another specially favourite food is beech-mast, for which it 

 visits the plantations on the Downs and the Forest, occa- 

 sionally in large flocks of both sexes together. 



