Page:Natural History, Birds.djvu/164

Rh woody capsules of great hardness, or the kernels of stone-fruits, which must either be opened by a forcible wrench, or crushed by strong pressure. At the season of incubation, many species live extensively on caterpillars, and the larvae of other insects, with which the young are almost exclusively fed; and there are some numerous genera, in which a fruit or seed diet is at all times largely varied by insects. In such cases, as the Tanagers for example, the upper mandible is more or less obviously notched at the tip, as in the slender-billed Dentirostres; and, for the same purpose, the more secure holding of a living and active prey.

The Finches are spread over the whole world, as might be supposed of so very extensive a Family; in general, the individuals of each species are abundant, and many associate in flocks. They are considered to possess the peculiarities of the Class in very high development; they are in general much admired for their clean neat appearance, their often brilliant colours, their docility of manners, and their sprightliness; and these qualities, united with their small size, the facility of supplying them with food, and the power of song with which very many species are endowed, render them the most suitable of all birds for the confinement of a cage;—hence they are general favourites in the houses of the rich and the poor.

We have, in the Goldfinches, an example of the Fringilladæ with the beak of only moderate thickness, or which might even be characterized