BIRD NOTES AFIELD 



stowed upon its detection. It is a dome-shaped structure, 

 woven of fine grasses, and contains some four or five white eggs, 

 rather thickly sprinkled with reddish-brown dots. Happy is 

 he who can find such a prize as this, and, after admiring the 

 beauty and poetry of the life it reveals, go his way in peace, 

 contented to have seen without coveting! 



The song of the linnet is ever in the air during May. I 

 know of no bird which, if its song be a true guide, has a lighter 

 and more exuberant heart. There is much of the freedom and 

 nonchalance of unrestrained delight in its tones as it pours 

 forth a flood of impassioned song in the midst of its flight. 



The linnet, or house-finch, is doubtless the most abundant 

 bird found in these parts of California. The bright red or 

 crimson of the head, throat and tail-coverts make the fuU- 

 plumaged male a very showy fellow, although his mate is con- 

 tent with a quaker garb of streaked gray. He is accused by 

 the fruit-growers of being something of a mischief-maker when 

 cherries are ripe, but let that be for the present. It is May, 

 now, and the cherries are too small and green to be palatable. 

 The linnets are quite content with a diet of seeds, while the 

 office of parent is the all-engrossing subject of interest. The 

 males are persistent suitors, and I have often seen two of them 

 paying assiduous attention to the same female, singing and dis- 

 playing their charms of plumage, while the indifferent object of 

 their rivalry would fly about from tree to tree in a vain attempt 

 to escape. The coquetry of linnet nature would ultimately 

 soften in favor of one of her admirers, however, and the de- 

 feated one would fly ofF, nothing daunted, to display his gal- 

 lantry in more promising fields. Thus do we see the drama of 

 life enacted upon the mimic stage of the bird world. 



[92] 



