THE HAWFINCH. 



Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pallas. 

 Plate 15. 



The Hawfinch, at one time considered a rare bird in many parts of England, 

 though local, has greatly increased in numbers of late years, and according to 

 Howard Saunders {Manual of British Birds, 2nd ed., p. 171) "the nest has been 

 found in every county in England, excepting Cornwall." It is also resident, but 

 rarer, in Scotland, and only known as a wanderer to Ireland. 



The rather level nest, usually placed in some fruit tree, is made of twigs and 

 lichen, with a lining of rootlets and some hair. The four to six eggs are in ground 

 colour greenish-blue or light olive-green, with spots and streaks of dark brown. 



The Hawfinch is a shy and retiring bird, and likes well-timbered and sheltered 

 ground. It will often enter gardens, especially at the time of year when green peas 

 are ready, of which it is extremely fond. It also feeds on the hard seeds of 

 various trees, such as beechmast and haws, eating only the kernels of these. 



The song is feeble, but it has a very distinct call-note. 



In winter the bill of the Hawfinch is of a pinkish horn colour, changing in the 

 breeding season to a steely-blue, with dark tip. 



Most authorities give the colour of the eye as greyish-white, but this appears 

 to be incorrect, as far as the living bird is concerned. 



My friend, Mr. Robert J. Howard, of Shearbank, Blackburn, first drew attention 

 to the fact, and I therefore give below his notes on the subject, which were published 

 in the second edition of Mr. F. S. Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire, edited by Howard 

 Saunders (p. 66): "The irides, in a live bird, are not greyish-white but vinaceous. 

 On August 7th, 1884, my male Merlin dashed from his bath at the Hawfinch 

 which Billington brought from Redscar. I picked the bird from the cage-floor, as 

 it was dying, and paid particular attention to the colour of the irides ; the bright 

 madder-brown got gradually lighter, until at last — before the bird was cold — it had 

 faded away, and the colour could only be described as a greyish-white. I had often 

 held the bird in my hand, so that I could closely examine the eyes, and found 

 the colour arranged in concentric circles, those near the pupils being brightest ; the 

 intensity of colour varied when I teased the bird." 



In an adult living bird I myself examined, the irides were a pale rather chocolate- 

 coloured brown, which at times changed in intensity ; and it would be interesting 

 to know if at any period during life these are greyish-white. 



The female is duller in colour than the male, and has less black on the throat. 



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