84 INSESSORES. 



towards the stuffed bird with all the anger which its 

 little breast can contain. It alights on the edge of 

 the trap for a moment, and throwing its body against 

 the stuffed bird, brings down the trap and is made a 

 prisoner. In this manner thousands of these birds 

 are caught every spring."* 



The beauty of the plumage of this little Finch, as 

 well as the sweetness of its song, has rendered it a 

 general favorite among those who are fond of keeping 

 pets ; it sings with great energy in confinement, and 

 with care will live for eight or ten years. 



Of all the gay-winged minstrels with which our 

 country abounds, the Painted Finch is one of the 

 most brilliantly attired. The head is of a beautiful 

 cobalt blue, a patch of bright yellow covers the back 

 and shoulders, while the rump and the whole lower 

 parts, including the throat and breast, are of flaming 

 scarlet. The females are plain greenish-olive above, 

 and dusky yellow below; the young birds of both 

 sexes assume this garb from the nest, the males gra- 

 dually undergoing a change with each successive 

 moult until about the fourth or fifth season, when 

 their dress is complete. 



In New Mexico and California there is a beautiful 

 and familiar little bird called the American House 

 Finch, which is probably as great a favorite among 

 the people of those countries as the Barn Swallow, 

 the Wren, and the Bluebird are with us. The fol- 

 lowing interesting description of its manners and 



* Audubon. 



