AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 191 



country a very brilliantly coloured race or variety, 

 which has been raised to the rank of a distinct 

 species by some ornithologists under the name of 

 Fringilla aurantiiventris, is equally abundant. This 

 bird presents no difference in notes, habits, or 

 structure from the ordinary European type, and is 

 only distinguishable by the vivid intensity of its 

 plumage. 



84. GOLDFINCH. 



CardueUs elegans. 



This beautiful little bird, though said to be less 

 common with us than it was before the practice of 

 careful field-weeding became general, is, I am glad to 

 say, still well known, and by no means rare in most 

 parts of our county as a resident species, whose 

 numbers are increased in most winters by flocks of 

 strangers, — I mean birds not bred in our district. 

 The Goldfinch is so justly a favourite, from its 

 cheerful song and beauty, that it is perhaps the 

 bird which suff'ers more than any other from the 

 cunning of the bird-catcher, and Ave have of late 

 years been grieved to find several of these artists 

 plying their trade with limed twigs and call-birds 

 about our highroads and lanes, but it is in the 

 neighbourhood of our large towns and on our 

 southern coasts that the principal havoc has been 

 wrought amongst these delightful little birds. In 

 the fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds,' vol, ii. 

 p. 118, will be found a quotation from the 'Zoolo- 

 gist,' in which the writer estimates " the average 

 annual captures of this species near Worthing at 

 about 1154 dozens, nearly all being cock birds." 



