Ij7- 



The Bulfinch. Rubkilla, /fJ^ujA/j^ 



Numb. LIX, and LX, 



ITS Weight is thirteen Drams ; Length from the End of the Bill to the End of its; 

 Tail fix Inches ; Breadth when the Wings are extended ten Inches ; it hath a black, 

 fhort, ftrong Bill, like that of the Grosbeak, but lefs, and in the old Birds fomething 

 crooked; the Tongue is {hortas if cut off; its Eyes are Hazel coloured ; its Legs dufky,; 

 and its Claws black, the lower Joint of the outermoft Toe flicking faft to the middle 

 Toe. The Head is larger to the Proportion of the Body, than in other fmall Birds, 

 and the Male hath his Breafl, Throat and Jaws adorned with a lovely Scarlet or Crim- 

 fon Colour ; the Feathers on the Crown of the Head, above the Eyes, and thofe which 

 compafs the Bill are black ; the Rump and Belly white ; the Neck, Back and Shoulders 

 of a blewifh grey, with a certain Tindlure of red. The quill Feathers of the Wings are 

 in Number eighteen, the laft of which on the outer half from the Shaft is red, the inner- 

 moft black and gloffy 5 the interior of the reft are black with a Glofs of blue, and the 

 exterior a dufky black. Of the firft or outermoft five, the exterior Edges in the upper 

 half of the Feathers are whitifh ; the Tips of the lower covert Feathers are cinereous, 

 in the interior more, and in the exterior lefs ; the next to thefe are of the fame Colour 

 with the Back; the Tail is two Inches long, black and fhining, made up of twelve 

 Feathers. 



The Cock is of equal Bignefs to the Hen, but hath a flatter Crown, and cxcells her 

 In the Beauty of his Colours. They are very docile Birds, the Hen learning after the. 

 Pipe or Whiftie, as well as the Cock, having no Song of their own but what is taught 

 them, in which they excell moft Birds. They are very deftrudlive to the Buds of the 

 Apple Tree, Pear Tree, Peach Tree, and other Garden Trees, efpecially Apricots and 

 Plumbs, of which they only take the blowing Buds, which they delight to feed on j 

 they build on Heaths, but their Nefts are difficult to be found. You may bring the young 

 Birds up after the Manner of the Goldfinch-, giving them white Bread ai;d Milk. 

 They are fubjed to the Giddinefs of the Head, for the Cure of which you mufl 

 give them four or five Earwigs a Week. The Birds are commonly fed with Hemp- 

 feed, and Rape and Canary, in which laft they delight moft. 



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