THE GOLDFINCH. 45 



a pasture near by. But the most numerous and spirited 

 company I meet is a party of Goldfinches {Chrysomitris 

 tristis). After caroling and whirling, high in air, they have 

 alighted within a short gun-shot. Excepting the Wrens, this 

 is decidedly the most animated bird of my acquaintance. 

 Every particle of his being seems inspirited with life. A 

 rare thing, indeed, it is to catch him in a state of rest. 

 When taking food, he seems to go through all the motions 

 possible, now reaching upward, now downward, now side- 

 wise, and now hanging by the feet. In flight he takes long, 

 bounding curves, showing an elasticity of stroke altogether 

 uncommon; and to make that flight still more animated, 

 frequently utters his strongly emphasized ditty — ^' I've 

 cheated ye, I've cheated yeT On lighting in a tree, he is in a 

 perfect state of excitement, beckoning, chattering and call- 

 ing, as if seeking to attract universal attention, giving one 

 the impression that there is a host of other birds within 

 hailing distance. Indeed, he never seems alone. When he 

 sings, he seems so brimful of his song, and in such haste to 

 deliver it, that he cannot articulate distinctly, but runs one 

 note into another, and breaks others off so abruptly that, 

 notwithstanding its pleasing vivacity, it often appears quite 

 incomplete. Not infrequently a considerable flock will all 

 sing at once, thus making a noisy chorus. In the case of 

 birds, as in the case of men, we should not confound song 

 with conversation. In respect to the latter, the Goldfinch 

 has a great variety of notes, which it is about impossible 

 to describe in full. Tid-tid-di-die^ tse-hee-tsee, tee-hee, in addi- 

 tion to his familiar ditty when in flight, are sounds quite 

 common to him. Whether we contemplate him in voice or 

 in action, the sentiment ever expressed by him is that of 

 joy, so that he is properly spoken of as the happy Gold- 

 finch. This is particularly a seed-eater, and, like the rest of 



