For the different modes of capturing this pretty bird, so precious when in pefect song to the bird-fancier, its treatment in confinement, the diseases to which it is subject, and their remedies, we must refer the reader to Bechstein's 'Cage and Chamber Birds,' of which there Is an English edition published by Bohn (1853).
The following description—ami the bird is so common that a more particular one is unnecessa7-18 from the interesting 'Journal of a Naturalist ' :—" The male bird is remarkable for the cleanliness and trimness of his plumage, which, without having any great variety or splendour of colouring, is so composed and arranged, and the white on his wings so brilliant, as to render him a very beautiful little creature. The female is as remarkable for the quiet unobtrusive tintings of her dress; and when she lies crouching on her nest, elegantly formed of lichens from the bark of the apple-tree, and faded mosses, she would hardly be perceptible but for her little bright eyes that peep with suspicious vigilance from her covert." Terriminek says, that in autumn after the moult, the colours of the plumage of the male are more bright than they are in the spring, because all the feathers of the upper and lower parts are terminated by a clear aah colour ; and, at the season of love, the male bird's dross becomes decked with pure and brilliant colour, without the aid of a scooncl moult, the edges of the barbs' being worn away with use, and thus suffering those colours which had been hidden to appear in all their beauty.
Many varieties occur, as pure white, yellowish white, some parts of the body white. The usual colours with a white collar ; wings and tail white. Aldrovandus mentions one partly yellowish and partly blackish.
This bird inhabits almost all the countries of Europe; it is per manent in the southern parts, and a regular bird of pamage in the greatest number of loealities. The Prince of Canino says that it is very common near Rome, and makes its passage in October, when numbers of them are taken for the table among other small birds at Paretajo and Roccolo, but in much the larger proportion, 500 chaf finches being, according to the Prince, captured to every 80 liunets, 05 goldfinches, 30 green grosbeaks or greenfinches, &c., &c. It has been stated and denied, that only the females of this bird are migratory in Europe. On this point Selby observes, " In Northum berland and Scotland this separation takes place about the month of November, and from that period till the return of spring, few females are to be seen, and those few always iu distinct societies. The males remain, and are met with, during the winter, in immense flocks, feeding with other granivorous birds in the stubble lands as long as the weather continues mild and the ground free from snow ; and resorting, upon the approach of storm, to farm-yards and other places of refuge and supply. This separation of the sexes I am induced to believe takes place in many other species, with respect to their migratory movements, as I have before remarked in the account of the snow-bunting. This appears also to be the case with the wood cock, having observed that the first flight of these birds (which seldom remain longer than a few days to recruit, and then pass southward) consists chiefly of females; whilst, on the contrary, the subsequent and latest flight (which continue with us) are principally composed of males. It has been noticed by several authors that the arrival of the
males, in a number of our summer visitants, precedes that of the females by many days; ft fact from which we might infer that in such species a similar separation exists between the sexes during their equatorial migration." Knapp ('Journal of a Naturalist') says, "With us (Gloucestershire) the sexes do not separate at any period of the year, the flocks frequenting our barn-doors and homesteads in winter being composed of both. In the northern parts of Europe however the females are said to migrate to milder regions, which induced Linnaeus to bestow the name of arlcbs upon this species." White observes upon the vast flocks which he saw near Solborne towards Christmas, all of which were hens. Jenyns says that it collects in flocks at the approach of winter, but makes no mention of the separa tion of the sexes. In Middlesex we have seen in winter flocks coin posed mostly of females, but we have also seen both sexes, about Christmas, partaking with other little winged pensioners of the crumbs daily thrown out for their support The Chaffinch feeds principally on seeds. We are however com pelled to add that they are very injurious to the florist and gardener. " These birds," says Knapp, " make sad havoc with some of our spring flowers; and the polyanthus, in March, in our sheltered borders, is very commonly stripped of all its blossoms by these little plunderers, I suppose to obtain the immature seeds at the base of their tubes. . . . . At this period too they are and plunderers in our kitchen gardens, and most dexterously draw up our young turnips and radishes as soon as they appear upon the surface of the soil ; but after this all depredation ceases, the rest of their days being spent in sportive innocence." Selby says that in summer it feeds much upon insects and larvae, and that he lira witnessed its assiduity, during the autumn, in devouring the females of a large species of aphis, that infests the trunks and stronger branches of the larch and some other kinds of fir. In winter, he adds, grain and other seeds constitute its food.
Like the other finches it builds one of the most beautiful nests, and, as Selby observes, always accordant with the particular colour of its situation. It is variously placed in trees and buillies. In orchards an old apple-tree is a favourite situation. Eggs, four or five, bluish white, tinged with pink and marked with streaks and spots of purplish-red.
CHAILLETIA'CEiE, Chailletiads, an obscure natural order of Polypetelous Exogena, some of whose species are said to be poisonous. They are very near Rhamnacar, from which they differ in having the stamens alternate with the petals, and five hypogynous glands. The petals are small ecale-like bodies stationed at the orifice of a tubular calyx ; the ovary is superior, and two or three celled, the ovules pendu lous, the fruit somewhat drupaceous, and the seeds without albumen.
Chalcis tetradactyla has been given as an example of the family. It is the Saurophis Sep* of Fitzinger, and under the name of S. tetra dactyl is is referred by Gray to his family Cordylcs. [SAmtifi.] Chailletia toxicaria is called Ratsbane in Sierra Leone. The order embraces four genera and ten species.