Hedgerow Life 
bird possesses such a_ powerful beak 
that it can crack a cherry-stone with it. 
The goldfinches and linnets flock to the 
thistle harvest, and pull out the feathery 
arrows and eat the small seeds contained 
at the end of them. Merrily they flit 
from thistle to thistle, clinging like gaily 
coloured acrobats to the bending plants, 
while the air is full of the feathery 
particles dislodged by their sharp, 
pointed beaks. The siskins keep to the 
brookside, preferring the alder berries ; 
while the wood-pigeons, chaffinches, and 
bramblings pick up the beech-nuts fallen 
from the beech-trees. Flocks of them 
may be seen searching for their favourite 
food among the ruddy beech-leaves 
which strew the ground so thickly. 
The elder berries, which have succeeded 
the creamy masses of sweet-scented 
79 
