THE CHAFFINCH 
While young they live on grubs, caterpillars, 
and other insect food, but when grown up it is to be 
feared that they do some harm to the spring flowers, 
and it is well known that they help themselves to 
unsprouted seeds that have been planted in the 
ground. 
When mere youngsters. Master and Miss 
Chaffinch are exactly alike, but after the first autumn 
moult the male is the much more brightly coloured 
of the two. His head and the nape of his neck are 
bluish, his back a chestnut-brown, shaded to a beau- 
tiful green about the tail, his underparts are red, and 
he has a striking band of white across his wings. 
The female has this white band also, but she wears a 
more sober dress, and her breast has no red. 
It was once noticed that a Missel Thrush and a 
Chaffinch had each built a nest in the same tree. 
The former had young birds while the latter had 
only eggs. When the Thrush brought food for her 
brood the Chaffinch left her nest, went up to her 
neighbour and seemed to beg to be allowed to feed 
the young Thrushes. After a few moments the 
Thrush allowed the Chaffinch to take the food and 
give it to the nestlings. 
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