BRAMBLING— BULLFINCH 217 



below, the breast and sides having streaks of dark red- 

 dish, and the crown striped with black. Both species 

 build in trees or low bushes, often very near houses. 



The Common Chaffinch is even more abundant in 

 many parts of Europe than the House-sparrow, and 

 is especially plentiful in the north of England. The 

 male bird has a tuneful song, and is much esteemed 

 as a cage-bird. It was a common custom, formerly, 

 to sear the eyes of these birds with a hot iron in order 

 to make them sing better, and even now, in order to 

 perfect their song, they are sometimes made to pass 

 much of their time in the dark. See Plate 17, Fig. 97. 



The Chaffinch is a friendly little bird, building its 

 nest in gardens and orchards near human dwellings. 



The B rambling, or Mountain Finch, is a near rela- 

 tive of the Chaffinch, and is even more brilliantly col- 

 oured, its plumage being a combination of black, 

 orange and white. This bird breeds in the northern 

 parts of Europe and Asia, migrating south in winter. 

 In some years it is remarkably abundant in Great 

 Britain, especially when severe weather prevails on 

 the continent of Europe. The wonderful black head 

 and neck are assumed just before the breeding season 

 — not by a change of feathers, but by the wearing 

 away of the brown tips of the fall and winter 

 plumage. See Plate 18, Fig. 104. 



Another common song-bird, found throughout 

 Europe, western Asia, and the north of Africa, is the 

 Linnet, also in great demand as a cage-bird. The 

 wonderful rose-red breast which distinguishes the 

 male is never regained by captive birds after their firsb 

 moult, but is replaced by yellow. The name. Linnet, 



