THE GOLDFINCH. 79 



can find it in their hearts to purchase such an 

 ornithological bouquet. 



I have already said that many of our conirostral 

 or hard-billed birds, as well as others of the den- 

 tirostral or insectivorous division of the Insessores 

 hitherto supposed to be constantly resident, at 

 least in the south of England, leave this coun- 

 try in considerable flocks about the beginning of 

 autumn, and return to it in diminished numbers 

 during the ensuing spring. It would be taxing 

 your patience too much if I were to transcribe 

 from my journal all the notes and records com- 

 mitted to paper within the last few years, which 

 bear upon this particular subject; such an inflic- 

 tion might test even ^^our ornithological zeal too 

 severely, and would necessarily exceed the limits 

 of many letters ; but feeling, as I do, that the sub- 

 ject is one of more than common interest, I pro- 

 pose to select two well-known examples, which 

 have heretofore been supposed to be constant 

 residents in our island, the goldfinch and the 

 pied wagtail; the one a hard-billed bird, the 

 other soft-billed: and an account of their mio-ra- 

 tions will be sufficient to illustrate my theory, 

 and perhaps comprehend as much as would prove 

 interesting to you on this subject. 



Of the departure of large flocks of goldfinches 

 in the autumn I have already spoken, a few, how- 



