134 STOJilES ABOUT BIRDS. 



wears a little black velvet cap that comes down over his cheeks, and there is a 

 scarlet patch over his forehead. 



His back is brown, and contrasts with the white of his breast; his black 

 wings are tipped with white, a»nd there is a broad band of rich golden yellow 

 across them which has a very handsome effect. 



The goldfinch is not very common in England. In the early part of the 

 summer he sometimes comes to the garden or the orchard to build his nest. 

 It is made of fine twigs, generally of the fir, and bents of grass, pieces of wool 

 and worsted, as well as feathers and hairs. 



The birds fix their nest in the fork of a tree, such as the pear or the 

 apple ; but sometimes they choose a hedge, or a very thick bush. 



In the picture the goldfinches have finished their work, and four eggs, of 

 a pale blue, with a few pale purple and brown spots, are laid in it. 



By-and-by the task of feeding the young will begin ; and then the 

 parent birds will pick off thousands of caterpillars from the fruit-trees in the 

 garden. The whole tribe of finches are of the utmost use to the gardener, 

 and as far as they can, help to keep down the ravages of insects. And they 

 do more than this. 



When the young finches are strong enough, they go with their parents- 

 into the fields and commons, and feed upon the seeds of many troublesome 

 weeds, such as the dandelion and the thistle. Their fine bills enable them tO' 

 pick out the seeds with ease. 



In the latter end of the year the goldfinches fly about in parties of not 

 more than twenty ; but when the spring comes they separate and choose their 

 partners. 



The goldfinch will often attach himself very strongly to his owner. A 

 lady once kept a goldfinch in a cage, and made a great pet of him. He 

 became so fond of her that he never liked her to go out of his sight. If she 

 left the room, he would flutter about, and try to follow her ; and when she 

 came back, he expressed by his manner the greatest delight. She often put 

 her finger between the bars of the cage, and he would come and rub his bill 

 against it, and make a great fuss ; but if a stranger did the same, he would be 

 highly indignant, and give the offending finger a severe peck. 



The goldfinch has a great many relations, both in England and in different 

 parts of the world. 



There is one of the family, called the rice-bird, that lives in tropicall 



