The Greenfinch. 29 



but injudicious, owner can bestow. A few grains of hemp 

 daily, about twelve, will keep them in good humour, while 

 green food and clean water must not be forgotten. The floor 

 of the cage must be covered with river sand, which should 

 be renewed every other day, and the bird will pick up little 

 pebbles that will materially assist its digestion. 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE GEEEJfFINCH. 



ONE of the most common birds in our neighbourhood was 

 the Greenfinch, or Green Bird, called by the local name 

 of le Tar in, by Buff on le Verdier, and by Linnaeus and the 

 Germans Loxia chloris and der Grunlincj, respectively. 



It is rather a pretty bird, and I have a strong suspicion 

 that in some way or other it has had something to do with 

 founding the domesticated race of Canaries, which are supposed 

 to derive their origin from the Fortunate Isles. My reasons 

 for this belief being that the call of the Greenfinch can scarcely 

 be distinguished from that of the Canary, while the nests of 

 both birds greatly resemble each other, and the eggs only 

 diff'er in being a trifle paler in the case of the green bird, 

 and even this dissimilarity is not constant. 



This bird is about the same length as the Chaffinch, but 

 is of stouter build, and has a shorter tail. The prevailing 

 colour of its plumage is yellowish green, lighter on the lower 

 part of the body, and still more so on the breast and rump ; 

 while many of the flight feathers of the wings are bright 

 yellow. 



The female, which is rather smaller than her mate, is 

 greenish brown on the upper, and grey with a slight shade 

 of green on the lower parts of her body. The young are at 



