212 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



amount of local movement. Formerly vast flights of 

 this Finch came to our area in autumn from the 

 Continent, but the numbers now-a-days are limited, 

 due to causes we have already indicated. The 

 favourite haunts of the Goldfinch are in the culti- 

 vated districts, in orchards and large gardens and 

 shrubberies, as well as on those farm-lands where 

 tillage is not practised to the extent of destroying all 

 the hedges, and of improving away the various weed- 

 grown corners and bits of rough waste pasture. 

 During autumn and winter this species may often be 

 met with in small flocks or parties on rough unen- 

 closed land, where they may be seen clinging to the 

 tall dry plants, such as thistles and docks, busily 

 engaged in extracting small seeds. Although some- 

 what wary, they can scarcely be considered shy, and 

 often allow us to approach them sufficiently close to 

 watch their movements. Perhaps the Goldfinch 

 looks best amongst the snow, flitting from one tall 

 dead weed to another, displaying its brilliant colours, 

 which contrast beautifully with the white surround- 

 ings. Particularly charming does the Goldfinch look 

 when fluttering before a thistle-head, scattering the 

 downy seeds in its efforts to pick them out ; or when 

 clinging to a brown withered dock plant, standing 

 high above the glistening snow-drift, with halt-open 

 wings to steady itself. It is a restless active 

 creature, ever in motion, flitting in drooping flight 

 along the hedge-side or across the open ground to 



