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CHAFFINCH.

Tue chaffinch is a very common species of bird in
this country, and a very handsome one, especially the
male bird. It is particularly remarkable for the singular
beauty of the nest that it builds. The following de-
scription and account of it is given by Bewick, in bis
“History of British Birds:’—‘The bill is pale blue,
tipped with black; eyes hazel; forehead black; the crown
of the head, and the hinder part and sides of the neck
bluish ash; the sides of the head, throat, fore part of
the neck, and the breast vinaceous red; the back is
reddish brown, changing to green; both the greater and
lesser coverts are tipped with white, forming two pretty
large bars across the wing; the quill feathers are black,
edged with yellow; the tail is a little forked, and black,
the outermost feather edged with white; legs brown.
The female wants the red upon the breast; her plumage
in general is not so vivid, and inclines to green; in
other respects it is not much unlike that of the male.

This beautiful bird is everywhere well-known; it
begins its short and frequently- repeated song early in
spring, and continues it till about the summer solstice,
after which it is no more heard. It is a lively bird,
which, with its elegant plumage, hus given rise to the
proverb, “as gay as a chaffinch.” The nest is very
neat and compact, and constructed with much art, of
small fibres, roots, and moss, and lined with wool,
hair, and feathers. The female generally lays five or
six eggs, of a pale reddish colour, sprinkled with dark
spots, principally at the larger end. The male is very