THE CHAFFINCH.
Youthful students of ornithology are frequently at a loss to understand why Linnæus, the great Swedish naturalist, gave this bird the somewhat odd scientific name of cœlebs, signifying bachelor. He did so because he noticed that in his own country the females left the males behind in winter and migrated south in search of more hospitable climes.
CHAFFINCH ON THE NEST
In Scotland and the North of England I have frequently observed the same kind of thing happen, and especially during severe winters, not a female to be seen for weeks together, and the males all congregated in little flocks. In the South and West of England, however, both sexes remain together, as a rule, and, associating with their relatives, the Common Sparrows, hunt farmyards and gardens for corn, seeds, and any other unconsidered trifles they may chance to pick up.
However gloomy the conditions of existence may be, the brave Chaffinch is always sprightly, vigorous, and cheerful, a characteristic which may be plainly seen in our illustration of birds feeding on the snow.
The call note of the species is a loud, ringing spink, spink, which is also used as an alarm cry. In the spring the male utters in addition a very sweet one sounding something like tu-wheet, tu-wheet. During flight the bird makes use of another note, which is difficult to render by the characters of the alphabet, but may, perhaps, be best represented by the letters tuke.
The song is repeated thousands of times per day in the early part of the breeding season. It is a very sprightly performance, like a merry old English catch, tol-de-rol, lol, chickweedo, which has been very aptly likened to the words, “Will you, will you kiss me, dear?” Some people consider it a monotonous affair, but in spite of the fact that I have heard it repeated twenty-one times in four minutes it is always to me, “A full, clear, sprightly ringing ditty.” It varies greatly in individuals, and although London bird-catchers consider an Essex Chaffinch superior to all others as a singer, I prefer to listen to some members of the species I have heard cheering the dark solitude of great Highland pine forests.