212 BIRDS OF THE WORLD 



dom in wooded districts. They are groiind birds, and 

 are usually seen in flocks. 



A smaller but similar form to the preceding is the 

 Prairie Horned Lark, a more southern species, and 

 one that is extending its range eastward from the Mis- 

 sissippi Valley. Formerly confined to the prairies 

 of the West, it now breeds in any suitable locality 

 farther East. This bird has a white, instead of yellow, 

 line over the eye. In singing, it is said to hurl itself 

 aloft like the Skylark, and also to sing on the ground. 



Finches 



This is an enormous family of birds, the largest in 

 the Order to which it belongs, and found in all parts 

 of the world, except Australia and adjacent islands. 

 While the plumage of many species is plain, that of 

 many others is brilliantly coloured. Nearly all the 

 Finches are song-birds, and many are favourite cage- 

 birds. All are seed-eaters, although during the breed- 

 ing season they capture great quantities of insects as 

 food for their young. Most of the species are resident 

 throughout their range, and not migratory to any 

 extent, as are all the exclusively insect-eaters among 

 birds. The Finches may be generally described as 

 rather small birds having a short, pointed, conical 

 beak, and nine primary quill-feathers. 



One of the commonest of European Finches is the 

 Greenfinch. It has no representative in America. The 

 male is a beautiful bird whose colouring is in general 

 green and gold, and the female resembles him, but is 

 not so brilliantly coloured. This bird does well in con- 

 finement, and shows some capacity for learning the 



