Birds of Britain 



means so rare as it is usually considered. It is found 

 locally in most wooded districts of England, but becomes 

 scarcer in the north and is decidedly rare in "Wales. To 

 Scotland and Ireland it is, however, only a rare and 

 occasional wanderer. Extremely shy, avoiding the haunts 

 of man, and keeping to the tops of high trees, its presence 

 is very difficult to detect, and the call-note, which is a weak 

 and high-pitched " sit," would not attract attention unless 

 specially listened for. 



The nest, which is built fairly high up near the top of a 

 tall hedge or in a tree, a tall hawthorn being an especial 

 favourite, is composed of fine twigs lined with rootlets, and 

 much resembles that of a Bullfinch, except that the cup is 

 considerably deeper. The eggs are extremely handsome, 

 being of a bluish green, boldly blotched and streaked with 

 black or olive grey. This bird has one weakness which 

 leads to his destruction, namely, a great fondness for green 

 peas, in search of which, forgetting his usual caution, he will 

 leave his haunts to forage in the nearest garden, where as 

 often as not he pays for his rashness with his life. 



His food consists almost entirely of seeds and berries, 

 insects forming a very small portion of his diet. In winter 

 he collects in small family parties and wanders about from 

 wood to wood but seldom strays very far from home. 



The male has the back brown, becoming lighter on the 

 rump ; the upper wing coverts blackish ; median coverts 

 whitish. Wing feathers black with white patches on the 

 inner webs and steel-blue tips, the inner primaries being 

 curiously expanded at their tips. Tail feathers with black 

 bases and white tips. The head is yellowish brown, paler 



**6 



