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THE

CHAPTER XVI.

FINCHES. BULLFINCH, GOLDFINCH, SISKIN.

HE BULLFINCH (Pyrrhula pileata), variously called Alp, Nope, Pope, Tony or Red Hoop, Coal Hood. In this species we have a very common representative of the genus Pyrrhula, a short, stout-necked, rather clumsilymade bird, not so agile and lively as the Finches generally, not so elegant in form, nor so graceful in its motions, and yet very much admired on account of the richness and beauty of its plumage, and its good vocal powers. Mudie says that it is'in shape the most compact and neat, and expressive of energy and strength of all our little birds. The outline of its head and bill is as fine as that of the most handsome of the Hawks; but the bright black eye has a good deal of the prying expression of that of the Magpie. The bill is, with the exception of that of the Eagles and Hawks, made stronger in proportion than the bill of any other British bird. The attitudes and motions of the bird, while picking buds or berries, are also very elegant; and it has a great command of itself on the perch.' And Wood furnishes us with this characteristic sketch, evidently the result of close personal observation :

The manners of this species are not remarkably brisk and lively, nor even varied, but they are social and pleasing, and nothing can

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BULLY IN FULL DRESS.

be more delightful than to follow them in the native haunts, and there become acquainted with their peculiar habits. In the distance, the sound of the male's voice is soft and mellow; that of the female greatly resembles it, though they are readily distinguished by a practised ear. Whilst uttering this, a smart twitch of the tail may be observed, and when the female is on the nest, her mate frequently sits for hours together on a neighbouring branch, sounding his plaintive note, or amusing her with his curious whining song. Unless you see him singing, you miss the best part of the performance. But it is at all times difficult either to see or hear him - though I have achieved both - and therefore you must be satisfied with what you can get. While singing, it puffs out its plumage, and makes strange contortions with its head. I have frequently watched this interesting manoeuvre; but no sooner does the bird find himself observed, than he shrinks to his ordinary size, alarms his mate, and with her flies to a distant tree, where they remain out of sight, but within hearing, waiting the event, and sounding their mellow note.

We scarcely imagine that any of our readers are unacquainted with the personal appearance of Master Bully in full dress: yet, lest there be any who are so, we may as well describe it. The head and part of the throat are of a rich velvety black; the upper parts of the body deep grey; the wings and tail black varied with iron blue; the under parts of the body of a fine vermilion, passing into white towards the tail. The effect of the whole is most

rich and harmonious.

In young birds the vermilion tinge is less vivid than in those of mature age, and in the females its place is supplied by a reddish grey.

Although a very common bird, being generally distributed throughout Britain, and a permanent resident, the Bullfinch is rarely seen or heard during the greater part of the year, as it seldom leaves the thick covert of the woods unless obliged to do so. Its natural home is in the woods, groves, and copses, where it builds its nest rather late in the season, seldom commencing it until the latter end of April, or the beginning of May. The structure is composed of dry twigs somewhat loosely put together, with a lining of fibrous roots, and placed on a bush at no great height from the ground; frequently the nesting-place is a hawthorn, or the horizontal branch of a spruce-fir. Sometimes an orchard is the chosen spot, as Bishop Mant describes it:

THE GARDENER'S FRIEND, OR FOE?

Deep in the thorn's entangled maze,
Or where the fruit-tree's thick'ning sprays
Yield a secure and close retreat,
The dusky Bullfinch plans her seat:
There, where you see the clustered boughs
Put forth the opening bud, her spouse
With mantle grey, and jet-like head,
And flaming breast of crimson red,
Is perched, with hard and hawk-like beak,
Intent the embryo fruit to seek.
Nor ceases from his pleasing toil,
The orchard's budding hope to spoil,
Unless with quick and timid glance
Of his dark eye, your dread advance
He notice, and your search evade,

Hid in the thicket's pathless shade.

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The gardeners in this country call the plunderer above described 'Pick-a-bud,' and woe be to Master Bully if he comes within gunshot when they have the means of destruction at hand. He is, in truth, a sad depredator, although not, as Knapp says, without any redeeming virtues to compensate us for the havoc which he commits on our cherry and other fruit-trees. Neville Wood, who adopts a name by which the bird is popularly known, thus enters on its defence against the sweeping charge to which it is generally considered obnoxious:

It is disputed by ornithologists, whether or not the Hedge Coalhood is pernicious to the interests of the gardener, by destroying the buds of the fruit trees. In the 'Ornithologist's Text-book,' p. 61, I have expressed an opinion in favour of our lovely songster, and subsequent researches have only served to confirm that opinion. That the birds do devour a tolerably large portion of the buds of our fruit trees, there can be no doubt; but then it is most probable that only those buds which are infested with insects are attacked, and if so, its services in the gardens must be incalculable. In confinement it will eat any buds, but in its wild state, it will be observed that the vegetable portion is rejected, and the enclosed insect or grub is the desired object of their search. That such is the case, I have ascertained almost to a certainty, from finding that some trees are passed over without the slightest injury, while others are not quitted as long as a bud remains; and others again undergo a selection. I have repeatedly observed it examining the buds with great care, and am convinced that they do not indiscriminately destroy the produce of the trees. It has been remarked by some, that the finest trees are usually selected as the scene of its depredations. But this, if any

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A CHARMING PILFERER.

thing, is in favour of my argument, as the insects may reasonably be supposed to make their choice as well as the birds, and that the birds only attack such trees as are infested by these insect pests.

We fear, however, that the weight of evidence is rather against the Bullfinch. Cuvier and Bechstein both say that it feeds on buds. Mudie particularises the early cherry, the plum, and such trees as have a good supply of farinaceous matter accumulated in the buds, as the especial objects of his attack, as well as the hawthorn, beech, and pine tribes, where the bird is said to display much dexterity in extracting the core, and separating it from the scales and turpentine. But the most conclusive evidence is that of Dr. Townson, who thus states the result of an examination of the stomachs of two of the birds:

Exclusive of a few grains of sand and some small pebbles, I found nothing but embryo flowers. I could discover with the assistance of my lens, all the parts of the flowers. The mischief these two little epicures had done, and probably at one breakfast, is incredible. From the quantity of buds I found in their stomachs, each of which was composed of four or five flowers, I think they had not caten less than a thousand apiece.

To this the testimony of Knapp and others might be added. But to what purpose? Clearly, Bully stands condemned as a pilferer; yet we cannot help liking him, he sings so sweetly, and dresses so charmingly. And then the poor bird does not know any better. It has been observed that, when the female Bullfinch is on her nest, the male bird frequently sits for hours together on some branch in the vicinity, uttering a low plaintive note, or a more continued song, not very remarkable for its sustained melody. By some the single notes which it sometimes utters have been likened to a whoop; thus we find an anonymous poet saying

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AN ACCOMPLISHED SINGER.

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Bechstein describes the song of the Bullfinch in a wild state as harsh and disagreeable;' but it is by no means so; on the contrary, the terms soft and mellow' more aptly describe it, as those who have taken much pains to come within hearing of it can testify. It is low and without much compass, and only to be heard by a very cautious approach. The listener can best effect his object by lying down among the long grass in the vicinity of a nest. If, concealed by the herbage, he remains perfectly still for awhile, the birds will probably come to the top of the bushes, and the male will utter his amorous song of connubial bliss; but the slightest stir will suffice to stop it, and send the birds away to a more secure covert.

But if its natural song be weak and poor, yet has the Bullfinch, when tamed, a surprising power of acquiring distinct tunes, and hence it is made an object of a considerable lucrative trade. Large numbers of piping Bullfinches' as they are called, are commonly exported from Germany to England, and all parts of the Continent. These accomplished birds fetch from one to several pounds each, according to their vocal ability, while a wild bird of the same species may be bought for a few pence. Dr. Stanley has well described a training school for Bullfinches, which are formed into classes of about six each, and kept in a dark room, where food and music are administered to them at the same time, so that feeding and singing become naturally associated in their memories, and they learn to imitate the tune they hear played or whistled, as a proper sequence to the meal which they enjoy. In some schools the starving system is adopted; it is with the feathered pupils no song no supper,' and every attempt at singing is rewarded with a mouthful of something nice. When a bird has made some proficiency in the utterance of musical notes, he is placed singly under the care of a boy whose duty it is to play on an organ, or to whistle, from morning to night, the particular tune which the Finch is to acquire; and this course of instruction goes on for nine months, by which time the bird has acquired firmness, and is not likely to forget the lesson taught. Generally this is but a simple tune, but some clever birds are able to whistle two

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