OXJ FRINGILLID.E. 



fess to know, by their language or dialect, the natives of dif- 

 ferent provinces. As a singing-bird, however, the Chaffinch 

 is little thought of in this country, and is seldom kept as a 

 cage-bird. 



The Chaffinch is as watchful as he is lively, and often gives 

 the well-known warning to other small birds on the appearance 

 of an enemy, either in the shape of hawk, owl, or cat : if one 

 of the latter skulks beneath a bush and the Chaffinch gives 

 the alarm, numbers of this species will collect upon it, hurry- 

 ing about and chattering as if to intimidate the unwelcome 

 visitor. 



The Chaffinch inhabits gardens, orchards, and fields that 

 abound in trees and hedgerows. Its food in spring and sum- 

 mer consists chiefly of insects, for which it is often seen to 

 search among fruit-trees ; and in the consumption of the seeds 

 of many weeds injurious to agriculture, it renders service to 

 the farmer, — such as the seeds of chickweed and groundsel, 

 also of the crowfoot, a weed highly troublesome in some soils : 

 and by these good services it deserves the scattered grain 

 that it is compelled, in severe seasons, to seek in the farm or 

 stack-yard. 



Besides the call above mentioned, the Chaffinch is often 

 heard to utter in spring the syllable wheet / wheet ! repeated 

 many times in succession, — a note very sweet and musical. 



Much has been said on the subject of the periodical sepa- 

 ration of the sexes in this species, which has been remarked 

 from the times of Linnaeus to our own ; but in the century that 

 has elapsed since his time, little has been added to the bare 

 and simple fact that a separation takes place. According to 

 Linnaeus the females of this species leave Sweden in the early 

 part of autumn, whither they do not return until the following 

 spring : the males only remain. Bechstein, writing of his 

 country, which is nearly in the centre of Europe, says of the 

 Chaffinch, " This species ought to be reckoned among birds 



