450 



GRIM SON- HEADED FINCH. 



coloured. Female entirely of a yellowish ash- 

 colour on the upper parts : crown spotted with 

 yellow : sides of the head dirty white : chin white : 

 neck with a few obscure brown marks : tail dusky 

 brown, bordered with grey. 



This species varies in having the face white : 

 the back varied with grey and brown, with a 

 general tinge of rose-colour : wings and tail dusky, 

 externally bordered with rose-colour. 



The Crimson-headed Finch, of the Arctic Zoo- 

 logy, appears to be referable to this species. It 

 has the head and breast crimson, the former 

 spotted with a few obscure dusky marks ; and the 

 space round the eye entirely dusky : back, wing- 

 coverts, primaries, and tail, black, with crimson 

 edges : belly white, tinged with rose-colour. 



Found in the thick woods about the rivers 

 Wolga and Samara, where it is known by the 

 name of Red Sparrow ; likewise in the vicinity of 

 the Tomsk in Siberia, residing in the willows, but 

 is not very abundant : it is a very tame and foolish 

 bird, and feeds on the seeds of plants : the female 

 makes her nest of hay between the branches of 

 trees, laying about five eggs : in the winter it 

 unites with the snow-flakes. The second variety 

 is a native of North America, about New York, 

 where it arrives in the spring : it is very abundant 

 among the red cedars, and is a very active bird, 

 shifting with inconceivable velocity round the 

 trunks. 



