CHAFFEE

chaffee, adna romanza (1842- ), american general, was born at orwell, ohio, on the 14th of april 1842. at the outbreak of the civil war he entered the united states cavalry as a private, and he rose to commissioned rank in 1863, becoming brevet captain in 1865. he remained in the army after the war and took part with distinction in many indian campaigns. his promotion was, however, slow, and he was at the age of fifty-six still a lieutenant-colonel of cavalry. but in 1898, at the outbreak of the spanish-american war, he was made brigadier-general and soon afterwards major-general of volunteers. in the cuban campaign he won particular distinction, and the victory of the americans in the action of el caney was in large measure due to his careful personal reconnaissances of the ground to be attacked and to the endurance of his own brigade. after reverting for a time to the rank of brigadier-general, he was made a major-general u.s.v. again in 1900 and was appointed to command the united states contingent in china. he took a brilliant and successful part in the advance on peking and the relief of the legations. in 1901 he became a major-general in the regular army, and in 1901-1902 commanded the division of the philippines. in 1902-1903 he commanded the department of the east, and from 1904 to 1906 was chief of the general staff of the army. in 1904 he received the rank of lieutenant-general in the united states army, being the first enlisted man of the regular army to attain this, the highest rank in the service. he was retired at his own request on the 1st of february 1906, after more than forty years' service. chaffinch (_fringilla coelebs_), the common english name of a bird belonging to the family _fringillidae_ (see finch), and distinguished, in the male sex, by the deep greyish blue of its crown feathers, the yellowish green of its rump, the white of the wing coverts, so disposed as to form two conspicuous bars, and the reddish brown passing into vinous red of the throat and breast. the female is drab, but shows the same white markings as the male, and the young males resemble the females until after the first autumn moult, when they gradually assume the plumage of their sex. the chaffinch breeds early in the season, and its song may often be heard in february. its nest, which is a model of neatness and symmetry, it builds on trees and bushes, preferring such as are overgrown with moss and lichens. it is chiefly composed of moss and wool, lined internally with grass, wool, feathers, and whatever soft material the locality affords. the outside consists of moss and lichens, and according to selby, "is always accordant with the particular colour of its situation." when built in the neighbourhood of towns the nest is somewhat slovenly and untidy, being often composed of bits of dirty straw, pieces of paper and blackened moss; in one instance, near glasgow, the author of the _birds of the west of scotland_ found several postage-stamps thus employed. it lays four or five eggs of a pale purplish buff, streaked and spotted with purplish red. in spring the chaffinch is destructive to early flowers, and to young radishes and turnips just as they appear above the surface; in summer, however, it feeds principally on insects and their larvae, while in autumn and winter its food consists of grain and other seeds. on the continent of europe the chaffinch is a favourite song-bird, especially in germany, where great attention is paid to its training. chafing-dish (from the o. fr. _chaufer_, to make warm), a kind of portable grate heated with charcoal, and used for cooking or keeping food warm. in a light form, and heated over a spirit lamp, it is also used for cooking various dainty dishes at table. the employment of the chafing-dish for the latter purpose has been largely restored in modern cookery.