The Goldfinch. 57 



is the character given it by Eechstein, who says that it will 

 not live more than two or three years in the house. 



On the other hand, Mr. Swaysland says, ''It will thrive in 

 an aviary": if so, I imagine that its abode should be warmed 

 during the winter, and that it would require to be fed on 

 insects and fruit, and when the latter failed, grocers' currants 

 soaked in warm water, and chopped figs might be substituted: 

 but no one should attempt to keep a bird which all writers 

 on the subject unite in describing as very delicate, unless he 

 or she is gifted with the most exemplary patience, and has 

 an abundance of leisure time to boot. 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE GOLDFINCH. 



THIS universal favourite, now becoming rather scarce in 

 England, was but very rarely seen by me in the days 

 of ''auld lang syne" in Erittany, where, on one or two 

 occasions it built in a large arbutus tree exactly opposite, and 

 at no great distance from, our drawing-room window: but 

 owing to some mischance or other never brought up a brood. 

 My father, however, bought several males, at different times, 

 at a bird-shop in the town, with a view to breeding mules 

 between them and our Canaries, but without succeeding in his 

 design: and once, during a fall of snow, or rather after the 

 fall, and while the ground was deeply covered with snow, I 

 caught one under a sieve, along with some Sparrows and 

 Yellow-hammers, and kept it for some time, when it acci- 

 dentally got one of its legs broken, and though my father set 

 the limb, the poor thing never did much good afterwards. 



I must confess that I never cared a great deal about these 

 birds, nor very much admired them; certainly not to the extent 

 that Butfon did, who says, "Eeauty of plumage, softness of 



