History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

84 BIRDS. PASSEKES. Fringilla.Will. Orn. 186. Sibb. Scot. 18. Linn. Svst. i. 318. Penn. Brit. Zool. i.335. 7ra)«. Orn. i. 357 — £, Buck-finch, Horse-finch, Pink, Twink,Skelly; S, Shilfa ; W, Asgell-arian, Wine; G, Briecan beatha.—Common,Size of a sparrow. Bill blue, tip black. Irides hazel. Legs brown. Cheeks,neck, and breast pale reddish-brown. Back chesnut, the feathers with pale yellowish-greymargins. Belly and vent white. Rump sulphur-yellow. Lesserwing-covers white, those of the primaries black, and those of the secondariesblack tipped with yellow. The three first quills black, the outefc^ebwith awhite edge. Tail, with two middle feathers bluish-grey, the nexaRree black,and the two exterior ones with a white spot on the inner web. Female, with thehead and upper parts oil-green; cheeks and below grey with a tinge of red,— Pairs in March. Nest in trees, of moss or lichens, lined with feathers andhair. Eggs 5, bluish-white, with reddish spots. Young —like the female.Sexes separate into distinct flocks during the winter.103. F. montifringilla. Mountain-finch. — Head, cheeks,nape, and upper parts of the back black ; throat, breast, andshoulders reddish-orange.Will. Orn. 187. Linn. Syst.i. 318. Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 337. Temm.Orn. i. 360—A common winter visitant.Length 6^, breadth 10^ inches; weight If ounces. Bill yellowish, tipblack, with an indistinct terminal notch. Feet brown. Irides dusky. Coversof the primaries black ; the three first quills black. Tail black, the two middleones with reddish margins. The female has the crown reddish, with ablack band above the eyes —Nest on fir-trees.— Eggs 5, white, with yellowishspots. Breeds in the north of Europe Frequents this country in winter,visiting the corn-yards along with chaffinches. The bright gamboge-yellowat the setting on of the iswing an obvious characteristic mark. It seems tovary in colour with the season, becoming whiter in severe winters.104. F. cannabina. Brown Linnet.— Bill bluntly conical ;wing-covers brown.Linaria rubra major, Will. Orn. 191. Sibb. Scot. 18.— F. can., Linn.Syst. 322—Red-headed i. Linnet, Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 343—Fr. can.Temm. Orn. i. 364 E„ Great Red-pole ;bengoch Common.S, Grey Lintie ; W, Lin-Length 6, breadth 10 inches; weight an ounce. Bill, strong in proportionas the Green Grosbeak, but the ridge is sharper ; bluish-grey, dark at the tip.Legs and feet brown. Irides hazel. Front and breast carmine-red, throatyellowish-white streaked with bi-own ; crown, nape, and sides of the neckbluish-grey : above, chesnut-brown with pale edges; below, white with a rufoustinge. The first quill black ; the following ones edged with white onboth webs, forming a lengthened white mark on the wings. The quills increasein bluntness to the seventh, after which they are emarginate. Tailforked, black, the feathers margined on both sides with white, except the twomiddle ones. The female has the plumage brown, with pale edges, the whiteon the wing and tail less, and the belly more inclining to reddish-brown, andwanting the carmine-red on the front and breast—Nest in furze and lowshrubs, of moss and grass, lined with hair. Eggs 5, bluish-white, speckled withpurplish-red. Young like the female. In winter, the male resembles the female,although the carmine tinge may be observed upon lifting up the feathers on thefront and breastIt congregates in large flocks during the winter season.105. F. rnontium. Mountain-Linnet. — Bill triangular ;greater wing-covers edged with white.