178 TEXT-BOOK OF ZOOLOGY 



winter quarters in the South of Europe. A few only, chiefly males, 

 remain during the winter, subsisting on the few scanty remains of the 

 rich summer season. 



Allied Species. 



The Goldfinch (Fr. carduelis).— This bird is a favourite domestic 

 pet, on account of its intelligence and elegant plumage. (What legend 

 is there relating to the latter ?) Its food consists principally of thistles 

 (in Germany one of its names is " thistle-finch "), hence it avoids the 

 larger woods, and remains with us throughout the winter. The German 

 name for this bird, Stieglitz, is derived from itB call-note, which sounds 

 somewhat like " steeg-e-leets." The moderately long, pointed bill is well 

 adapted for picking off thistle- seeds. The large stout bill of the Hawfinch 

 (Coccothraustes vulgaris), on the other hand, is excellently fitted for 

 opening hard seeds, cherry kernels, beech mast and the like. 



The Greenfinch (Fr. Moris) is a familiar inhabitant of gardens and 

 bushy localities. It lives on all sorts of seeds. On the approach of 

 danger, it flies into the branches of trees, where it also nests, and where 

 it cannot easily be distinguished on account of its yellowish-green, leaf- 

 coloured plumage. 



The Common Sparrow {Passer domesticus) and its relative the Tree- 

 Sparrow have followed in the train of man all over the earth where- 

 soever the culture of grain is pursued (hence they are absent in remote 

 and isolated forest villages). Their original home was probably in Asia, 

 whence most of our cereals are derived. Indeed, their inconspicuous 

 earth-coloured plumage points them out as original denizens of the 

 steppes. (Compare with lark, quail, and partridge.) The common is 

 easily distinguished from the tree sparrow by the colour of the plumage. 

 (Common sparrow : top of the head ashy grey, no black spot in the 

 region of the ear, wings with a yellowish- white transverse bar. Tree- 

 sparrow : top of the head bright rufous, a black spot in the region of 

 the ear, the wings with a pure white transverse bar.) The common 

 sparrow has become intimately attached to man's society. It builds its 

 very untidy nest preferably under gables, etc. ; but on the ripening of 

 the corn it leaves human habitations in order to take its fill in the fields. 

 The tree-sparrow, on the other hand, builds its nest by preference in 

 hollow trees, and only enters towns and villages in the winter, when 

 driven by hunger. It then, like the common sparrow, makes its meals 

 of all sorts of kitchen refuse. Both species feed their young upon 

 insects, of which the old birds also consume large quantities. They, 

 however, inflict considerable damage by biting off buds, and plundering 

 fields, cherry-trees, and orchards. In this country the uses of this bird 



