lo6 The Bullfijich. 
ITbe JBullfincb. 
(^Pyrrhula eu}opa:a). 
By Wesley T. Page. F.Z.S. 
This is one of the most handsome of the British finches, 
and a general favourite, except with the fniit grower, who, in 
spite of its great beauty, destroys it on sight, Ijecause of its 
depredations among the buds of fruit trees in the early spring. 
It is still very numerous in many counties, and all lovers 
of our native avifauna will wish that it may long remain so ; 
however, I will return to this point later under the heading of 
"Wild Life." 
In captivity 
It is kept under three conditions: — i. As an inmate of the 
aviary, ii. As a cage pet or room bird. iii. As an exhibition 
specimen. I have known it from actual experience under the 
first two of these conditions, and under the last only as a frequent 
visitor to the various bird shows. 
I. It is as an inmate of the aviary that I know it best ; 
losses are very numerous among newly-caught birds, principally, 
in my opinion, owing to an insufficiency of tender green food and 
supplying dry seed. The period when these birds are mostly 
caught is spring or autumn, when, either owing to heavy dews or 
rains, their natural food is in a more or less saturated condition, 
and the failing to supply soaked seed and a liberal supply of fresh 
green food causes the dealli of very many of these handsome 
birds. In the aviary, once settled down, their average life is 
about five years, though there are many instances in which this 
age has been largel}' exceeded. 
Many years have elapsed since I have kept this species, 
though when I did so I bred them freely, and I have ])eeii rather 
surprised at so many comparatively experienced bird-keepers 
failing to breed it. For a number of years I gave up British 
])irds, then temporarily took theiu up again, and in this brief 
interval they bred again with me, though I only retained them 
one season, foreign species ultimately crowding them out of my 
aviaries. I must repeat again that with this species, tender fresli 
green food is a sine qica non, both for keeping the adult birds fit 
and rearing llie yoiuig. I should say that fully one-third of the 
