66 F R I N G I L L A. 
which are five or fix, tliey will hi tlie couiTe of a few days calliire, Lincoliifhire, and Yorkihire, but not furtlier to 
lay others; if you drive tliem from the trees or the houfes, the north of England or Scotland. It is obferved always 
they will refort in great numbers to your granaries. Per- to build on trees, and not in buildings like the houfer 
fons who have kept them in cages affure us, that a fingle fparrow. It is much more common on many parrs of the 
pair of fparrows confume near twenty pounds of corn an- European continent than in England; as in Italy, France, 
iiually. We may judge from their numbers what prodi- Germany, Kullia, and the eaftern part of Siberia, where 
pious defiruition they mull make in our fields ; for though it is more plentiful tlian tlie houfe-fparrovv. It is faid to 
they feed their young with infedts, and eat many them- 
felves, they principally fiibfift on our belt grain. They 
follow the labourer in feed-time, and the reaper in har- 
veft. They attend the threfliers at the barns, and the 
poulterer when he fcatters^raiii to his fowls. They vilit 
tlie pigeon-houfes, and even pierce the craw of the young 
pigeons to extradl the food. They eat bees, and are thus 
difpofed to dellroy alinoflthe only infedts ufeful to man; 
whence it I'eemsthe cordial wifh of all men that fome me¬ 
thod could be devifed for deftroying them. There are 
two feafons in the year wlien they alfemble, not to fly in 
flocks, but to chirp together, in autumn on the willows 
by the river fide, and in fpring on the firs and other ever¬ 
greens. They meet in the evening, and in mild weather. 
They fpend the night on the trees, but in winter they are 
found either alone, or with their females in a liole of the 
wall, or beneath the roofs of houfes, &c. The males 
fight obftinately for the pofTedion of their females, arid in 
the violence of their ftruggle they oftenfall to the ground. 
Few birds are fo ardent, or fo vigorous in their love. 
They will embrace twenty times in fucceflion with the 
fame fire, and the fame exprelTions of rapture. Some 
houfe-fparrows, more indolent or bolder than the red, do 
not give themfelves the trouble of building, but drive off 
the martins, and polfefs their nefts. Sometimes they 
fight the pigeons, and eftablifli themfelves in their holes. 
This little tribe exhibit therefore habits and inftindls 
more varied and perfedl than moft other birds ; which 
refults undoubtedly from their living in fociety. They 
enjoy the benefits of the domeflic ftate w'ithoiit furrender¬ 
ing any portion of their independence. Their flefli is by 
many perfons reckoned good food ; and in fome countries 
fmall pods are eredfed before the houfes, for thefe birds 
10 build in, for the fake of their young. 
There are feveral varieties of this fpecies, viz. i. Tlie 
white houfe-fparrow, which has a yellow bill and h ides, 
and the plumage wholly white. Specimens of thefe 
are to be feen both in the Britidi and Leverian 
Mufeums, but the lad contained many mixed varieties ; 
one brown above ; beneath dirty white. Another, mark¬ 
ed as in common, but very pale, and fome of the quills 
white. A third, the upper parts aimed white; the un¬ 
der parts brown. Another, every where pure white, 
except a rudiment of black on the throat, diewing it to be 
a male. A fifth pure white, with a fpot on the crown ; 
the nape of the neck, and the back, brown. One like 
this is alfo in the Britidi Mufeum. 2. Tbe. yellow houfe- 
fparrow, with atinge of chefmit on the upper parts. 
There was one of thefein the Leverian Mufeum,wholly of 
a yellow cream-colour. 3. The black houfe-fparrozv ■, the 
bill of a deep yellow. This variety is full as common as 
the white one. All thefe have been diot at large, and 
therefore could not be the eft'etl of keeping in a cage, on 
improper food. 
99. Fringilla montana, the mountain fparrow : this 
beautiful bird is a fize lei's than the houfe-fparrovv ; bill 
black; irides greyiih hazel ; the head, and nape, chef- 
nut; the chin black ; on each fide of the head, behind 
the eye, a fpot of the fame ; the upper parts of the body 
rufous brown, fpotted with black, inclining to greeniih 
towards the rump ; Tides of the neck, the bread, and un¬ 
der parts, dulky white ; wing-coverts rufous, edged with 
black, and croiTed with two bars of white ; the greater 
coverts black, witli ferruginous edges; quills blackidi, 
with rufous edges; tail rufous brown ; legs pale yellow. 
The female is duller in colour, and wants the black on 
the ears and throat. 
This fpecies is found in England, particularly in Lan. 
vilit Hudfon’s bay in April, and to depart in September ; 
fhoiigli Mr. Hutchins feems not certain but it may be the 
mountain finch. Dr. Foi der mentions a bird of this kind in 
Canada, fix inches and a half in length, which has no 
black under the throat and eyes, and no white collar ; tl.e 
bill and legs black. This arrives at the fettlements at 
Severn in May, and goes further north to breed, and re¬ 
turns in autumn. Th.e mountain-fparrow, though more 
redlefs than the hoiife-fparrow, is not fo petulant, fo fa¬ 
miliar, or fo voracious. It is more innocent, and not fo 
dedrudlive to the crops. It prefers fruits, wild feeds, 
particularly tliofe of tlie thidle, and alfo eats infetts. It 
avoids meeting tlie houfe-fparrovv, which is dronger and 
more niifchievous. It can be railed in a cage, and fed 
like a goldfinch ; it lives five or fix years; its long is very 
poor, but quite different from the hardi cliirp of the 
houfe-fparrovv ; but thougli more gentle, it is remarked 
not to be fo docile. This is owing to its living more out 
of the fociety of man. 
100. Fringilla pinetorum, the pine finch ; plumage 
above reddifli tedaceous, beneath yellow ; bread with a 
tranfverfe ferruginous band. Inhabits the pine groves of 
Siberia. 
101. Fringilla fylvatica, the wood finch : head barred; 
body above varied with black and grey ; bread and belly 
hoary. Inhabits alfo the pineforeds of Siberia. 
102. Fringilla Hudfonia, the Hudfon’s-bay finch : the 
plumage above is black, beneath white; outmod tail, 
feathers white. Inhabits Hudfon’s bay. 
103. Fringilla flavicollis, the yellow-throated finch : 
bill and legs blueidi grey ; head and upper parts of the 
body cinereous; primaries dulky, edged with pale brown; 
chin vvliite ; on the throat a pale yellow fpot; belly dull 
white. Inhabits New York. 
104. Fringilla cridata, the creded fparrow : nearly as 
large as the houfe-fparrow ; bill red; upper parts of the 
plumage, wings, and tail, reddilh brown ; the under 
parts, and rump, crimfon ; the top of the head is creded', 
and of the fame colour; Tides of the head, under the 
cred, black ; legs brown. The female has the top of the 
head, round the eyes, and chin, black ; neck, as far as 
the bread, crimfon ; the upper parts brown ; wings and 
tail pale brown ; the quills black ; on the bread a bar of 
black; the red of'the under parts white, mixed with a 
little black at the thighs; legs brown. Inhabit Cayenne, 
and are alfo met with in Carolina. 
105. Fringilla Carolinenfis, the Carolina black.faced 
finch: five inches and a half longred-brown ; belly 
white ;■ face and pedtoral band black ; throat and rump 
fcarlet ; bill and legs brownifii; wings black; tail diorr- 
Inhabits Carolina. 
106. Fringilla bicolor, the two-coloured finch ; length 
four inches; bill black; head, throat, and bread, tiie 
fame; the red of the bird dull green. Found in the 
w'oods of Bahama, where it fits perched on the tops of 
trees, and lings not unlike the chaffinch. This bird va¬ 
ries in colour ; orie in the Eiitilh Mufeum has an affi-co- 
loured belly, and the vent tinged with red ; brought from 
J amaica. 
107. Fringilla Abyflinica, the Abydiniaii finch : fize 
and lhape of the canary-bird ; bill black; Tides of the head 
beneath the eyes, the throat, forejiartof the neck, bread, 
and upper part of the belly, black ; upper part of the 
head, the red of the body, and lower part of the belly, 
yellow ; at the back of the neck a collar of black, which 
meets the black on the fore part ; the wing-coverts, and 
quills black, with pale edges; tail black, edged with 
greeniih yellow ; legs pale brown. This inhabits Abyf. 
