The Finches : The Chaffinch 
in (1). Bechstein vocalizes the European call as fink, fink ,— 
from which he says the the name of the bird was derived. 
The note is repeated singly, or in twos, threes, or indis¬ 
criminate combinations of these at the rate of about five notes a 
second. The song does not vary very greatly in character. 
The most usual song is the phrase in (4) ; a chromatic drop 
of varying interval, with a differently vocalized flourish after a 
short rest, the flourish suggesting some resemblance to one or two 
of Bechstein’s German vocalizations. The song is sprightly and 
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chip chip chip chip chip 
or chimp chimp s,c 
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tchi.tchi.tchi.tchi.tchi wee 
cheerful, occupying a second and a half to two seconds in 
utterance. In (3) the flourish, not so definite in interval, but 
as definite in vocalization, comes between two phrases consisting 
of a repetition of one note, sounding like tchiu, tchiu. Garstang 
(GS, p. 37) gives the British song as chip, chip, chip; tell, tell . 
tell; Cherry-erry-erry; Tissy-choo-ee-o! 
The song of the greenfinch is simply a short, burred, upward- 
slurred whistle, very like the call of the Maori long-tailed cuckoo, 
though not nearly equalling it in loudness and shrillness. The 
songs of the linnet and goldfinch have been heard too seldom to 
be noted. 
Not having heard the other members of this family, I find 
it difficult to decide if they are songsters or not, so varied are 
the opinions of authors regarded as authorities. Some of these 
authors apparently have not heard the song of birds which 
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