CARDUELIS ELEGANS. 409 



flexible stems on which they feed. A finch's nest such as I 

 have described reminds me of the lines of Hurdis — 



" But most of all it wins my admiration 

 To view the structure of this little work, 

 This bird's nest ; mark it well, within, without, 

 No tool had he that wrought, no knife to cut, 

 No nail to fix, no bodkin to insert, 

 No glue to join — his little bill was all, 

 And yet how neatly finished. What nice hand, 

 With every implement and means of art, 

 And twenty years' apprenticeship to boot, 

 Could make one such another ? Fondly, then, 

 We boast of excellence, whose modest skill 

 Instructive genius foils." 



A small one was built on the top of a high laurel, surrounded 

 by leaves, like one of those diminutive nests of the humming 

 bird brought to this country, encircled by evergreens, but, as a 

 rule, they are not so compact as those of the chaffinch. The eggs 

 are bluish-white, slightly spotted and streaked at the larger 

 end. It breeds with the canary in cages, the young being mules, 

 called canary-goldfinches. They sometimes breed with the 

 greenfinch in a wild state. Of all birds the goldfinch takes 

 readiest to the cage, is as much at home in a dealer's shop as in 

 a drawing-room. If any caged bird is a philosopher, it is the 

 goldie ; is the easiest trained to all the tricks of exhibition, such 

 as firing small cannons, carrying tiny pails, &c. ; is easily taught 

 to imitate the notes of other birds, and much used as a call 

 bird. Not very common in Scotland ; it is plentiful in England, 

 in the gardens, orchards, about villages and farm houses, where, 

 as Fergusson says : — 



" The gowdspink chitters joyous here, 

 And courts wi' gleesome sangs his peer ; 

 The mavis frae the new-bloomed thorn 

 Begins his lauds at earliest morn. 

 Ah, liberty ! thou bonny dame, 

 How xoildly wanton is ihii stream, 

 Round whilk the birdies a' rejoice, 

 An' hail you wi' a gratefu' voice." 



Of Liberty he also truly sings — 



" The gowdspink, that sae lang has kend 

 Thy happy sweets (his wonted friend), 

 Her sad confinement ill can brook 

 In some dark chamber's dowy nook ; 

 Tho' Mary's hand his nebb supplies, 

 Unkend to hunger's painfu' cries — 

 Ev'n beauty carina cheer the heart, 

 Frae life, frae liberty apart." 



2 B 



