AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 193 



and gardens. We have usually at least two nests in 

 the flower-garden at Lilford quite close to the house, 

 besides several more at a short distance. The 

 exquisitely neat little nest is by no means always 

 easy to discover, being often placed at the end of a 

 leafy bough of oak, horse-chestnut, plane, or other 

 large-leaved tree, not unfrequently amongst the top- 

 most twigs of a fruit-tree, and now and then near the 

 top of a tapering cypress or Irish yew. The eggs 

 are generally five, and are probably too well known 

 to my readers to require description. The partiality 

 of the Goldfinch for the seeds of the thistle and other 

 of our common weeds is well known ; and a prettier 

 sight to the eye of a lover of birds than a flock of 

 these little living gems busily engaged in examining 

 a tall patch of flowering thistles is hardly to be met 

 with in this country. In captivity the Goldfinch will 

 readily mate with the Canary, Greenfinch, Common 

 Linnet, and other species, and is remarkable for its 

 docility in learning various tricks ; but, as the editor 

 of the fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds ' 

 most truly remarks, all this is " violating the laws of 

 nature," and, in our opinion, very much to be de- 

 precated. The Goldfinch is found in all parts of 

 Europe which we have visited, from Corunna to 

 Cyprus, and is very abundant in Algeria. 



85. SISKIN. 



Carduelis spinus. 



Although this bird cannot be called abundant in 

 our neighbourhood, I have never failed to meet with 

 it in small flocks whenever I have been at Lilford in 

 the months of January and February. A few appear 



