LIGURINUS CHLORIS. 
Greenfinch. 
Loxia chloris, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 82. 
Fringilla chloris, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 1815, p. 206 
Ligurinm chloris, Koch, Baier. ZooL, tom. i. p. 230. 
Serinus chloris, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 555. 
Coccothraustes chloris, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 87. 
Linaria chloris, Macgill. Hist, of Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 366. 
Chlorospiza chloris, Bonap. Geog. & Comp. List of Birds of Eur. and N. Amer., p. 30. 
Chloris pinetorum, hortensis, et septentrionalis, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl., pp. 259, 260, 261, tab. 17. fig. 1. 
Jlavigaster, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 281. 
The Greenfinch is strictly indigenous in our island. In winter it frequents the fields, hedgerows, and 
woods, and, if the weather becomes severe and the ground carpeted with snow, assembles in flocks 
round the farm-steadings and the immediate vicinity of houses. In spring and summer it is even still 
more familiar ; for it then resorts to gardens and shrubberies, and often builds its nest and rears its young 
among the shrubs, even those close to the windows of our dwellings. Its dispersion over England, Scot- 
land, and Ireland is so general that it would be superfluous to enumerate the localities in wdiich it may 
be observed. On the continent of Europe, from the shores of the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, it is 
just as numerous as in England ; and in North Africa, as far as the Atlas range, it is equally plentiful. 
I have also a specimen in my collection (a little smaller in size, and rather more brightly coloured) from 
Erzeroiim ; and, according to the Rev. H. B. Tristram, it is abundant in all the gardens of Southern 
Palestine (‘Ibis,’ 1859, p. 33), is a very common winter visitant on the coasts, and abounds especially 
on Mount Carmel and on any w^ooded hills, but is rare in the interior, and disappears in the spring 
(‘ Ibis,’ 1868, p. 206). 
“ The Greenfinch,” says Yarrell, “ is found in all the cultivated parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland, 
except, as stated by Macgilllvray, the western and northern islands of the latter country. It is included 
among the birds of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, but, according to M. Nilsson, is more numerous 
in Sweden in winter than in summer. It is abundant in all the countries of Southern Europe, and is 
found even as far as Madeira. In a south-eastern direction it was observed by Mr. Strickland to be 
numerous at Smyrna.” Wright states that it is very common in flocks during winter at Malta (‘ Ibis,’ 
1864, p. 51), and Lord Lilford and Lieut. Sperling that it is resident and very numerous in Corfu, 
Santa Maura, and Greece, and in winter collects in flocks on the north coast of the Mediterranean 
(‘Ibis,’ I860, p. 138; 1864, p. 280). Dr. Giglioli observes that, in the neighbourhood of Pisa, in Italy, 
it frequents the tops of the white poplars which line the Piaggie and Cascine roads (‘ Ibis,’ 1865, p. 57) ; 
and von Homeyer records, in the ‘Journal fiir Ornithologie,’ that it occurs in the Balearic Isles just as 
in Europe. It does not extend to India; neither is it enumerated in the lists of the birds of Amoorland or 
China. In Japan there are two nearly allied but quite distinct species. 
The Greenfinch, as seen in our gardens during the month ofAprilorat the time of pairing, is a very joyous 
and interesting bird. The male then displays himself to the greatest advantage, rising in the air with 
outspread wings and tail, frequently turning and pirouetting, as it were, and returning to the same tree 
or branch, uttering all the while its loud ringing whistle. During flight, the silvery under surface of the 
wings shows very conspicuously, and the fine yellow markings of the upper surface present a strong 
contrast to the olive colouring of the body. “ When paired,” says Sir William Jardine, “they resort to 
the garden and shrubbery, breed in the various cover which is there afforded; and at this time the 
male may be seen in the morning, rising with slow or heavy strokes of the wing, uttering his simple 
note, and performing his long winding flight peculiar to the season of love. During winter they con- 
gregate in large flocks, feeding on various small seeds on the stubble-ground, and resorting towards 
nightfall to the vicinity of the plantations or evergreens surrounding some mansion, flying for a time around 
and clustering before taking up their roost on the top of some bare tree. Their sleeping-place is returned 
to night after night throughout the winter ; and the flock may be seen taking up the perches in the same 
bushes with great regularity.” Thompson, after remarking that the above account is in entire accordance 
with his observation on the favourite haunts of the Greenfinch, to which alone they will strictly apply, adds : 
— “ By the plantation of shrubberies I have known this handsome bird to be attracted to, and soon become 
plentiful in a rather wild district near Belfast, from which it had previously been absent, the Portugal laurel 
{Prunns Lusitanicd), with its dense foliage, being its favourite resort.” 
