THE CHAFFINCHES. 
35 
THE TRUE FINCHES. SUB-FAMILY II. 
FRINGILLIN^E. 
Of this Sub-family, which contains the bulk of the birds 
ordinarily known as “Finches,” our Com'ron Chaffinch may 
be taken as the type. The bill is strong, ai'd atways more °r 
less stoutly built, but does not exhibit the robustness of that of 
the Grosbeaks. The nasal bones are not produced backwards 
beyond the base of the cranium, but on looking at the skull 
it will be seen that the angle of the chin is slightly out of 
line with the lower mandible of the bill. In the Grosbeaks 
the line is continuous, and in the Buntings the angle is 
extremely well marked, so that the Finches hold an inter- 
mediate position between the Grosbeaks and the Buntings. 
The distribution of the true Finches is very similar to that 
of the Grosbeaks, as they are not represented in Australia or 
in the Pacific Islands, but Wey are very plentiful in the northern 
portions of the Old and New World, less so in India and 
Africa, and again abundant in South America. 
THE CHAFFINCHES. GENUS FRINGILLA. 
Fringilla, Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 318 (1766). 
Type, F. caelebs Linn . 
Two species of the genus Fringilla- occur in England, and 
one of them, the Brambling, ranges right across Asia to 
Japan. In Algeria, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the 
Azores, no less than six species of Chaffinch are known, most 
°f the separate islands possessing a peculiar form of their 
own. 
THE CHAFFINCH. FRINGILLA C CELEBS. 
Fringilla Calebs, Linn., S. N., i., p. 318 (1766) i Macg., Br. B., 
i., p. 329 (1837); Dresser, B. Eur iv, p. 3, P 1 - 1 ' 2 
(1873) ; Newt. ed. Yarr., 11., p. 68 (1876) ; B. O. U. List 
Br. B p. 32 (1883): Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., xn., p. 
171 (1888); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. vm. (1888); 
Saunders, Man., p. 175 (1889). 
Adult Male. — Chestnut-brown ; the lesser and median wing- 
coverts white; greater coverts black, tipped with white, forming 
n 2 
