F R I N G I L L A. 
6‘2 
London it is known by the name of aberdevine. In the 
weftern and fouthern parts of Riiffia this bird is found in 
plenty ; but is not met with towards the Uralian chain, 
nor in Siberia. 
There are three varieties of this fpecies of the fifkin : 
I. The black JiJkin, with a yellowiflt crown ; met witli in 
Silelia. Buffon mentions one taken at large, which he 
thought to be a mixed breed between a canary and the 
fifkin. 2. black-and-ysllow JiJkin-, the top of the head 
black; throat, round the neck, and breaft, yellow ; th.e 
rump yellow, changing into white on the upper tail-co¬ 
verts; the back olive-brown ; wings and tail black, edged 
with white; belly and vent whitifh ; legs pale. The fe¬ 
male is very like the male, but the colours lefs bright : 
found about New York. 3. The olive fijkin ; bill cine¬ 
reous; pupil of the eye bluifli; upper parts of the body 
pale olive ; beneath yellow ; head black ; quills black, 
edged with yellow ; and a ftripe of the fame on the 
wings; legs cinereous. The female has the crown grey- 
brown ; cheeks and throat pale yellow. Found in the 
woods about Buenos Ayres, and in the Straits of Ma¬ 
gellan. It is faid to fing better than any other bird of 
South America. 
51. Fringilla Mexicana, the Mexican fifkin : fize of 
the common fifkin ; upper parts greenifli-brown ; the 
under yellowifli-white ; quills and tail green, like the 
back. Inhabits Mexico, where it is called acatechichiElli. 
52. Fringilla catotol, the catotol fifkin : fize of the 
preceding ; the upper parts varieg|ited with yellow and 
blackifli ; the under white; legs afli-colour. Inhabits 
tile plains of Mexico, and is faid to fing agreeably. 
53. Fringilla barbata, the bearded fi(kin : the general 
plumage is pale yellow ; wings green, fpotted with black 
and red ; chin bearded ; bill white, at the bafe tipt with 
black; Iiead black; chin, in the young bird, yellow, 
vvlien half a year old covered witli black hairs, and when 
full grown appearing as if bearded. Inhabits the moun¬ 
tains of Chili, and in winter defcends into the plains ; it 
is eafily tamed, fings' charmingly, and imitates the notes 
of other birds ; builds in trees ; fize of the canary bird. 
The female is, without the beard, cinereous ; wings here 
and there fpotted with yellow. . 
54. Fringilla diuca, tlie Chilian fifkin : fize of the 
preceding; general plumage blue ; chinwhite. Inhabits 
Chill, about houfes ; fings finely, efpecially at fun.rife. 
55. Fringilla Sinenfis, the Chinefe fifkin : lefsilianthe 
fparrow ; bill and head black ; hind part of the neck, 
and back, olive-green ; the fore-part, belly, and vent, 
yellow; w'ing-coverts the fame; the lefTer crofted with 
two black bands, the larger tipped with a fpot of black; 
the quills are black, but the greater ones are yellow half¬ 
way from the bafe ; tail half black half yellow, like the 
quills; legs black. Inhabits China. 
56. Fringilla flammea, the flame-coloured finch : length 
four inches ; bill pale brown; the head of a deep flame- 
colour, inclining to crimfon, and the feathers fomewhat 
longer than the reft; the plumage on the upper parts of 
the body brown; beneath pale crimfon, or rofe-colour ; 
legs pale brown. This is faid by Linnaeus to have come 
from Norland : defcribed by him from Rudbeck’s paint¬ 
ings. It feems to be confined to the northern regions, 
tiiough not afce'rtained by the leaft hiflory annexed to ei¬ 
ther of the fpecimens in the Britifli or Leverian mufeums. 
57. Fringilla flaviroftris, the ArCtic finch : bill yellow 
like wax, with a brown tip ; the male is wholly of an 
obfcure footy-browii colour, paled beneath ; the bread- 
feathers have frequently the tips varied with garnet-co¬ 
lour ; quills and tail dufky, edged with grey ; legsblack. 
Tlie female inclines to brown ; otherwife like the male. 
This fpecies is found in Norway, and in the north-ead 
part of Siberia. In winter it migrates to the fouth, fre¬ 
quenting inhabited places, and is feen about barns, being 
a tame fpecies; it is frequent about the Jeoifei in the fe¬ 
vered part of the winter, and returns north earlier than 
the fnow bunting ; it is not feen in Ruflia. 
2 
58. Fringilla cannabina, the greater redpole : lefs than 
the common linnet, but about the fame length ; the bill 
is dufky; irides hazel; on th.e forehead is a blood-co¬ 
loured fpot ; the red of the head and neck adi-colour ; 
tlie bread tinged with a fine rofe-colour ; back, wing-co¬ 
verts, and fcapulars, bright reddifn-brown ; tire fird quill 
feather black; the exterior and interior edges of the eight 
followiirg while, forming a bar of white on the wing; 
the Tides are yellow; middle of the body white; tail 
dufky, edged with white ; legs brown. The head of the 
female is adi-coloured, /potted with black ; b.ick and 
fcapulars of a brownifh red ; bread and tides yellow, 
dreaked with duflcy lines. Tins bird is frequently met 
with in flocks on the fea-coads, and in flight-time near 
London; and is alfo common on the continent of Eu¬ 
rope, like the former, but found more northward than 
that bird, in which parts it breeds. It breeds alfo in the 
northern parts of England and Scotland, upon the moun¬ 
tains : alfo in Cumberland. It makes its ned-'on the 
ground, and lays tl.ree bluidi-wliite eggs, mottled with 
yellow, and fpeckled with brown. It is likewife found 
in America, where it fhifts its quarters according to the 
feafon, and unites into flocks, in the fame manner as in 
Europe. It inhabits alfo Hudfon’s Bay. 
59. Fringilla linota, the common linnet. Few birds 
are better known than the linnet ; but dill fewer, per¬ 
haps, unite more amiable qualities; a pleafing fong, do¬ 
cility of difpofition, and ful'ceptibility of attachment. 
Endowed with Inch talents, it could not lo'ng preferve 
its freedom ; and dill lefs, when nurfed in cages, could 
it retain the beauties of its original plumage. In faft, 
the red colour with which nature has painted its head 
and bread, and which in the date of liberty fparkles with 
great, ludre, wears off, and foon difappears entirely in 
our cages and aviaries. There remain only a few' obfcure 
vediges after the fird moulting. 
This bird poirefTes (Irong povvers of imitation. Some 
have even fucceeded in teaching it to fpeak different lan¬ 
guages, that is, to articulate fome Italian, French, and 
Finglifh, words, with confidcrable fluency. Many*per- 
fons have, from curiofuy, gone from London to Kenfiog- 
ton merely to hear an apothecary’s linnet, which articu¬ 
lated the words pretty boy. The fa£I is, it had been taken 
out of the tied when only two or three days old, before 
it had time to acquire the parent fong; and juft begin¬ 
ning to liden with attention, it was ffruck with the found 
of pretty boy, and learned it from imitation. This fadt 
feems to effablidi the opinion of the late Daines Barring¬ 
ton, that birds have no innate fong; and that the warble 
peculiar to the different fpecies and its variet es, have 
nearly the fame origin with the languages and the dialedls 
of various nations. 1 
The linnet, in the wdne countries, often builds its ned 
in vineyards, and hence it hfis been called the vine-linnet^ 
or wine-bird. It builds alfo in juniper, hawthorn, black¬ 
thorn, and hazel-nut, trees, in young copfes, 8 cc. Their 
neds are compofed of flender roots, fmall leaves, and 
mofs, on the outfide ; and lined with feathers, hairs, or 
wool ; they lay five or fix eggs, of a dull white, fpotted 
with brown-red at the large end. The linnets have feldoin 
more than two hatches, except their neds be robbed, 
which obliges them to renew their labours; and in this 
way they may be made to lay four times in the year. The 
mother feeds the young by difgorging into their bill what 
had been prepared and half-digeded in her craw. 
After the hatching is over, and the family raifed, the 
linnets go in numerous flocks, which are formed about 
the end of Augud, when the hemp, on which they delight 
to feed, is arrived at maturity ; and at this time fixty 
have been caught in one drawing of the net. They con¬ 
tinue to live thus in fociety during the whole winter; 
they fly very crow'ded, alight and rife together, perch on 
the fame trees, and about the beginning of fpring they all 
begin to chant. They live alfo upon all kinds of fmall 
feeds, particularly thofe of thidles, &c. and hence they 
haunt 
