THE GREENFINCH. 



207 



branches of a moderately high tree, repeating his mourn- 

 ful ditty with extreme complacency for an hour together. 

 Yery often he takes advantage of the midday silence of 

 the groves, and pipes away without any other competitor 

 than the Yellow Hammer, whose song like his own is a 

 constant accompaniment of sultry weather. The Green- 

 finch has another note which is heard most frequently, but 

 not exclusively, in spring. This is a single plaintive 



c^m.-. 



~) / 



THE GREENFINCH. 



chirp which may be easily imitated by human whistling ; 

 it resembles somewhat one of the call-notes of the Canary- 

 bird or Brown Linnet, and, being full and sweet, harmo- 

 nizes with the woodland chorus far better than the 

 monotonous croak described above. Another of the notes 

 is a double one, and closely resembles that of the " Pee-wit," 

 hence it is called in some places " Pee-sweep." The Green- 

 finch builds its nest, when not among evergreens, in some 



