112 Pictures of Bird Life 



town. Still, a good inaiiy niav ])e seen at times if one 

 knows wlicre to look for them. In one field, chiefiy remark- 

 able for its fine ero]) of thistles, and where tlie bird-catelier 

 is not a pcr.so//(i i^Tdfa, lart>e floeks of young Goldfinehes and 

 Ijinnets may be seen during autinnn. And there are not 

 many sights in Nature prettier than a small floek of these 

 elegant birds elinging to the bending thistles with expanded 

 wings, and flying from one to another. If the time is winter, 

 and there is a eoAering of snow on the ground, the beauty 

 of the sight is still further inereased. AMien one ])ateli of 

 thistles is exhausted, they fly off to another with a joyous 

 twitter, leaA'iny" the downy seed-feathers floating in the air 

 and strewn on the surfaee of the snow. 



The only nest I have seen was about ten feet up 

 the trunk of a small oak in a Avood, placed between the 

 trunk and the small leafy twigs growing out of it. In such 

 a place they are much safer than when nesting in hedges 

 and orchard trees. I lune some reason for thinking that 

 they nest more often than is thought at considerable heights 

 in large trees. 



The House-sparrow is, as a matter of course, abundant — 

 extremely abundant : where is it not ( In towns its presence 

 may be tolerated, and even welcomed, but tiiere is no doubt 

 tiiat in the country it does mucli damage, ^^^hile the corn 

 is yet green in tlie ear, and after it is ripe. Sparrows in 

 flocks may be seen on their way to feast on the precious 

 grain. Clinging to the bending ears, they strip them speedily, 

 and break down as much as they de\'om\ They also let the 



