. Our native songsters . e, only occurring in Southern Europe as abird of passage. It is especially common in themountainous forests of Germany. With us itresides all the year. The male and female bullfinches generally keeptogether during vrinter, and may be seen at nogreat distance from each other, helping themselvesfrom the budding trees. Their motions are some-what less rapid than those of most of our small THE BULLFINCH. 327 birds. The nest is usually built in May, and isshallow structure, formed of small twigs, linedwith a few root fibres, and containing about fourslate-coloured eggs, spo
. Our native songsters . e, only occurring in Southern Europe as abird of passage. It is especially common in themountainous forests of Germany. With us itresides all the year. The male and female bullfinches generally keeptogether during vrinter, and may be seen at nogreat distance from each other, helping themselvesfrom the budding trees. Their motions are some-what less rapid than those of most of our small THE BULLFINCH. 327 birds. The nest is usually built in May, and isshallow structure, formed of small twigs, linedwith a few root fibres, and containing about fourslate-coloured eggs, spotted with purplish or paleorange brown at the larger ends. Two broods arereared in the year, and the nest is placed in thesloe, hawthorn, or other low tree or bush. Some-times the gooseberry is chosen, and occasionallythe bullfinch builds among the roses and theirgreen sprays. This bird is also called Pope, Coal-hood, Tony-hoop, Alp, Nope, or Monk; and is the Bouvreuilcommun of the French, and the Blutfinh of CHAPTER X. THE SWALLOW TRIBE. Every one who at all observes the mere externalaspects of nature, the changing seasons, the bud-ding trees and the opening flowers, has becomeacquainted with the Swallow. We all look withpleasure on the fost swallow, which in April skimsthrough the air before us: and though, as the pro-verb common to most European nations expressesit, One swallow does not make a summer, yetis even the stray bird an indication of coming mul-titudes, and of all beauties and delights associatedwith that rich season. Even the inhabitant ofthe city, far from the wild flowers and greenboughs which he loves so well, watches for thecoming of the first swallow, and thinks of thelanes and meadows among which the pearly Avhite-thorn is beginning to bud, and where the violet. THE SWALLOW TRIBE. 329 and primrose, and anemone, and bluebell peeptlirougli the liedges; and where the cottagechimney, which the swallows have long hannted,rises above the garden plots,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1853
