GOLDFINCHES 221 



The east-ender is "devoted" to his chaffinch, but 

 for the generality the first favourite is undoubtedly 

 the goldfinch, and if few are seen in cages compared 

 with larks and linnets it is because they are much 

 rarer and cost more. Our "devotion" to it, as we 

 have seen, nearly caused its extermination in Britain, 

 and we now import large numbers from Spain to 

 supply the demand. One doubts that the bird will 

 stand this drain very long, as the Spanish are just 

 as fond of it (in a cage) as we are. 



Here I am reminded of a very charming little poem 

 about a caged goldfinch by one of my favourite 

 authors — El Color in de Filis, by Melendez, an eigh- 

 teenth-century poet. I do not think that anyone who 

 reads this poem and others of equal merit to be found 

 in the literature of Spain, would deny that the 

 sentiment of admiration and tenderness for birds 

 is sometimes better and more beautifully expressed 

 in Spanish poetry than in ours. Not only in the old, 

 which is best, but occasionally in reading modern 

 verse I have been surprised into the exclamation, 

 Would that we could have this poem, or this passage, 

 suitably translated! This may seem strange, since 

 we cannot allow that the Spanish generally, wedded 

 as they are to their ancient barbarous pastimes, and 

 killers of all small birds for the pot as they are now 

 becoming in imitation of their French neighbours, 

 can surpass or even equal us in sympathy for the 

 inferior creatures. It is the language which makes 

 the difference: the Spanish is better suited to the 

 expression of tender sentiments of that kind. The 



