122 FttlNGILLIDiE. 
168. Carduelis elegans^ Steph. The Goldfinch. 
Moorish. Mouknin. Spanish. Gilguero. Proviticial. Sil- 
guero, 
*^ Exceedingly plentiful near Tangier^ and resident ; but 
numbers migrate, arriving from about the month of August, 
to depart again for the north in the month of March." — 
F'avier. 
The Goldfinch is, without doubt, the most common and 
abundant bird in the west of Andalucia. Always plentiful in 
every direction, they appear in countless flocks when the seed 
of the various thistles becomes ripe ; and Spain is the country 
par excellence both of thistles and donkeys. The former, in 
some of the vegas and plains, grow in regular impenetrable 
thickets, in places covering acres of ground ; for when the 
land is left fallow for a season, all weeds are allowed to run 
riot, and they do so with a vengeance. Some of the thistles 
(and there are many different kinds) are very handsome — a 
large, yellow, carline species being perhaps the most attractive 
to the eye. The stalks, heads, and leaves of another sort, 
very like the garden artichoke, are a staple vegetable with the 
Spaniards, who sometimes were disposed to be indignant 
when I remarked, in fun, that in England donkeys, not 
men, eat thistles (or cardo) ; but at the same time I omitted 
to mention that we grow artichokes in our gardens. The 
stalk of another thistle is much used as tinder in the rural 
districts, and known as yesca de cardo ; it takes light well 
from the sparks made by a flint and steel, most of the 
peasants using no other method of lighting their papelitos. 
To return to the Goldfinches, at the time of their thistle- 
harvest they are caught in vast quantities in clap-nets ; and 
it is not unusual to see a man with bunches of several 
hundreds, which are sold at a ridiculously low price. Though 
perhaps rather dry, they are not to be despised as morsels ; 
but one feels as if committing a grievous sin when de- 
vouring such a charming little bird. 
The Goldfinch in Andalucia breeds about the beginning of 
May, and occasionally nests at Gibraltar in the Alameda and 
various gardens at the South. 
