44 IJIRUS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



GoLDFixcH. — This bird is a true finch, and tlie hand- 

 somest one we have got ; indeed, his brilliant colouring 

 gives him a foreign appearance, which he soon will possess 

 in reality, for he is fast being exterminated in Britain, 

 which is a great pity, for he is as sweet a songster as he is 

 blight, not to say gaudy, in his person. 



The bill of the (joldtinch is long, and terminates in a fine 

 point ; it is horn-colour in winter, and white in summer. 

 The forehead, or rather a circle round the bill, is deep crim- 

 .son or scarlet, varying in depth ; the sides of the head, or 

 bridle, are black, which is also the colour of the top of the 

 head ; the cheeks and a spot on the back of the neck are 

 white ; the breast is white, and the sides brownish grey ; a 

 line of the same colour sometimes descends from the chin 

 to the lower part of the breast, or be\'ond it ; the under 

 parts are light grey. Tiie shoulder joint and the lesser 

 wing coverts arc black, as are the quills of the tail and 

 wings, but the latter are ornamented with a broad patch of 

 yellow, and are tipped with yellowish gre\"ish white ; tiie 

 back and himler parts arc brown. 



The female is smaller, has less yellow and red, and the 

 small wing coverts are black, edized with brown. 



The young are very dissimilar, having grey heads, and 

 bearing but little resemblatice to their parents. 



The nest is very compactly built, and is considered 

 second in point of elegance to that of the chaffinch. It is 

 often placed in a fruit tree in an orchard, among the 

 upper or terminal branches. The eggs are usually five, and 

 bear a considerable likeness to those of the canary, but 

 are smaller. 



There are two broods, as a rule, in the season, and the 

 young are easily reared on cruslied biscuit and milk, which 

 should be given warm every ten or twelve minutes from 

 dawn to dusk, one or two mouthfuls at a time ; when 



