The sexes may be similarly coloured or very different, the hues being commonly sober, but sometimes particularly brilliant. Cardinalis, Paroaria, Gubernatrix, Melophus, Pyrrhuloxia, Schistospiza, Lophospingus, and Tiaris have fine crests; Catamblyrhynchus exhibits stiff crown-feathers. The feet are usually dull, but occasionally pinkish, as in Embernagra and Pycnorhamphus; the bill may be blackish, yellowish, dusky, or even red, as in Cardinalis (except one form). Of British species, the Greenfinch (Ligurinus chloris), the Goldfinch (Carduelis elegans), the Sparrow (Passer domesticus), the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), the Brambling (F. montifringilla), the Linnet (Linota cannabina), the Redpoll (Aegiothus rufescens), the Bullfinch (Pyrrhula europaea), the Reed-Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus), the Corn-Bunting (E. miliaria), and the Yellow Hammer (E. citrinella) hardly need description; while several others occur more rarely in our islands or breed with us in limited numbers, such as the Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris), which is bay, black and white; the Siskin (Chrysomitris spinus) and the Serin (Serinus hortulanus), which are chiefly greenish-yellow; the Pine-Grosbeak (Pyrrhula enucleator) and the Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), which are mainly red in the adult male, and respectively yellow and greenish-orange in the female; the Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana), which is brown, green, and yellow; and the Snow-Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis), with its black, chestnut, and white plumage, that becomes black and white in summer. The Rose-Finches (Carpodacus) of the Eastern Palaearctic, the Nearctic, and the Indian Regions exhibit fine crimson or rosy tints; the Central and South American Pheucticus, and the Western North American Hesperiphona, much black and yellow; the Cardinals (Cardinalis), of North America, Venezuela, and Trinidad, bright red with black forehead and throat; Paroaria, which replaces the last-named genus southwards, somewhat like colours. Guiraca of most of America, except the extreme north and south, is mainly blue; Cyanospiza cyanea, ranging from the Eastern United States to Panama, is even more brilliant; while the Painted Bunting (C. ciris), of similar range, shews a beautiful combination of blue, red, brown, and yellowish-green. Volatinia of Central and South America is black; Geospiza, Camarhynchus, and Cactornis are the same, or decidedly dull; Petronia brachydactyla and Passer simplex, of the deserts from North Africa to Persia, resemble the sand in tint. The wild Canary (Serinus canarius) of Madeira, the Azores, and the Canaries–not to be confounded with the Cape Canary (S. canicollis)–is greenish above with brown striations, and yellowish below. Finally, many sober-hued North American genera, such as Pipilo, Peucaea, and Junco, lead up to the brown-streaked Bunting forms.
Fig. 144.–Snow-Bunting. Plectrophenax nivalis. × ½.
The crimson tints exhibited by the adult male Linnet, when in breeding plumage, afford a well-known instance of seasonal change of colour. It is in consequence indifferently called the Red, Brown, or Grey Linnet.
The members of this Family generally frequent wooded districts and open grassy spots, Finches on the whole preferring the former, Buntings the latter; a few occupy sandy deserts; Petronia haunts rocks; Ammodramus resorts to the shore. This bird clings to the reeds like a Tit, a habit well-known to be shared by various other marsh-loving species. Camarhynchus and Geospiza accompany flocks of Doves to dry bushy and rocky spots near the sea in the Galápagos. The majority are active and lively birds, social and seldom shy, which flock in winter to feed or roost; while the pugnacity of the Sparrow is rather exceptional. They not only dust themselves in dry spots, but bathe freely. Montifringilla breeds in mountainous places, Leucosticte and Plectrophenax in similar situations, or on rocky Arctic shores. The flight is ordinarily strong and rapid, some species of Sycalis, Phrygilus, and Calamospiza soaring, and descending with outspread wings; Cactornis climbs with ease about the prickly pear (Opuntia), while many Finches hop well, and others run readily and swiftly. The song is often exceptionally fine, as in the Canary, Linnet, Cardinal, American Song-Sparrow (Melospiza), Chondestes, Zonotrichia, and elsewhere; the Bullfinch in the wild state has a plaintive pipe; while the chirp of Sparrows may be contrasted with the Cricket-like strain of Petronia brachydactyla, the whistling cry of the Snow-finch (Montifringilla nivalis), the long-drawn note of the Corn-Bunting, or the sibilant sound at times made by the Crossbill. The food consists mainly of seeds, but other fruits, buds, leaves, insects and their larvae, are also eaten, not to mention peas, crocus flowers, and the like; Crossbills and some other forms cleverly extract the seeds of fir-cones, Camarhynchus and Geospiza scratch about upon the ground, and Cactornis devours seeds and flowers of the Opuntia. The nest varies from the huge, untidy domed mass of straw and feathers fashioned by Sparrows to the small compact cup of moss, wool, hair, down, lichen, and such materials, formed by the Goldfinch, Redpoll, or Chaffinch; Hawfinches and Bullfinches make shallow structures chiefly composed of twigs and lined with roots; the British Buntings build with grass and horse-hair if possible; Phonipara and other species sometimes make covered fabrics; Sycalis pelzelni occasionally utilizes nests of other birds. The site may be in a tree, bush, rock, building, or on the ground, some forms nidificating under cover, some in the open. Sparrows have black, grey, and white eggs; those of the Linnet, the Goldfinch, and their allies are blue, bluish-white, or greenish, with reddish or brownish spots; those of Buntings are whitish, greenish, or ruddy, with brown, blackish, or rufous marks, ordinarily including streaks and scrawls; those of Petronia brachydactyla are white with blackish blotches; those of the Hawfinch green with olive and umber spots or lines; those of the Snow-finch white; those of Spiza guiraca and some other American species plain bluish or greenish.
With the Fringillidae this volume ends, according to the Classification which has been here adopted; but it may be well to take the opportunity of again reminding the reader that the "Families" of Oscines are not of equal rank to those of the Orders which precede them; and that, as regards the arrangement of these "Families," few writers will be found to agree; the truth being that there never can be a perfectly satisfactory linear system, since affinities point in so many different directions. When all these affinities have been finally investigated by anatomists, if ever that time should come, they may very possibly necessitate an alphabetical arrangement of the groups, with indications of their various relationships under each head.
INDEX
Every reference is to the page: words in italics are names of genera or species; figures in thick type refer to an illustration; f. = and in following page or pages; n. = note.
Abbott, on Penguins, [57] n., [59] n.
Abdimia abdimii, [99]