72 BRITISH BIRDS 



he Goldfinch is thistle-seed, which it seeks far and wide, 

 clinging to the prickly stems of the plants as tenaciously 

 as a Titmouse and extracting the objects of its desire 

 with its long and pointed ivory bill. 



At one time the thistle was a dreadful pest in New 

 Zealand (may be so still), and Goldfinches were imported 

 in some numbers for the purpose of keeping it in check, 

 which they are certainly well calculated to do, though, 

 whether they fulfilled the wish of their importers is 

 uncertain ; however, they have thriven there and are now 

 spoken of as being very abundant in the "Britain of the 

 Southern Hemisphere." Whence it is quite on the cards 

 that we may in the near future have to import them, if 

 prompt steps are not in the meantime taken to insure 

 their protection over here. 



The Goldfinch is a very teachable little bird, but is not 

 endowed with any great capacity for expressing what he 

 learns; he does his best, however, and it is unreasonable 

 to ask or expect more; but, as a musician, he will never 

 rival the Canary, the Bullfinch, or the Nightingale. 



Occasionally, these birds are harnessed and trained to 

 draw up miniature buckets out of artificial wells, to open 

 seed-boxes, pretend to be dead, and perform other tricks 

 of the like kind, w^hich are much better done by the Red- 

 poll; however, some folk are fond of these performances, 

 and who are we that we should find fault with them t 



The Greenfinch. 



This bird, sometimes called the Green Linnet, is a 

 "common object" in most parts of the country, and the 

 adult male in full plumage a sufficiently handsome one. 

 The form may be a trifle clumsy, and the plumage be 

 somewhat suggestive of boiled spinach and q%%, but the 

 dark green and the golden yellow on the wings have 

 their attraction .for some eyes, while the harsh rasping 

 note of the bird passes for an agreeable song in certain 

 quarters. Truly there is no accounting for taste, and 

 we are not going to cjuarrel with anybody about such 

 trivial matters. 



