The Mountain^ or Bramble Finch. 



123 



another black velvety looking bar, forming a most powerful 

 and pleasing contrast, and very fascinating to anyone possess- 

 ing artistic taste in the arrangement of colours. The flight 

 feathers are black, shaded with a sort of luminous, invisible 

 green, and margined on each side of the shaft, near the 

 outer edges, with golden chestnut and white ; the primary 

 flight feathers have white spots in the centre, forming a band 

 or stripe when the wing is closed. The throat and chest are 

 of a pretty chestnut brown ; the belly and vent, greyish- 

 white ; the legs and feet, of a dirty brownish flesh tint. 

 These birds, like most wild birds, vary in their appearance 

 according to age and time of year. Old birds kept and 

 moulted in cages for any length of time become less brilliant 

 in hue, and, consequently, to some extent, lose their attrac- 

 tiveness. 



Habits and Beeeding. — This bird breeds in Northern 

 latitudes (such as Russia and Norway), and is very plentiful 

 in France, where immense numbers are taken. It generally 

 selects the tops of tall fir trees for breeding purposes, the 

 nest being composed of moss and lichens, lined with hair, fur, 

 or feathers. The eggs are creamy-white spotted with orange. 



Methods of Captuee. — The call note of the Bramble Finch 

 greatly resembles that of the Chaffinch ; hence, a bird of the 

 last-named species makes a good decoy bird wherewith to 

 entrap them. These birds will enter the common trap-cage 

 during very severe and inclement weather, when food is 

 scarce ; or they may be taken with limed twigs, or the day 

 net, along with Chaffinches. But they are rarely met with, and 

 in open weather are shy and cautious, and difficult to trap. 



Food and Teeatment. — In a wild state these birds feed 

 on grain and insects, and keep about the open fields, 

 associating with Chaffinches and Buntings. They are fond of 

 the seeds of the knot grass, devouring them greedily ; they 

 will eat pine and fir seeds, oats, linseed, wild mustard seed, 

 and dock and plantain seed. They sometimes frequent 

 gardens, and eat the cabbage and lettuce seed, and various 

 kinds of berries. In confinement they should be fed on 

 canary and rape seed, groats and linseed, and a little hemp 

 occasionally as a change of diet. Green food, such as water- 

 cress, lettuce, groundsel, chickweed, or a bit of sweet apple, 

 may also be given sparingly. 



