THE BULLFINCH. 163 



of the Bullfinch and his allies the Tits, and we 

 fancy some of our friends would laugh if they 

 knew how often we had allowed a hare to go 

 by while noting the manoeuvres of our feathered 

 friends. It seemed to us at the time that there 

 was a greater pleasure in observing the actions and 

 habits of a living bird than in contemplating the 

 body of a dead hare. But few, probably, would 

 have agreed with us at such a moment. 



We must confess that we never shot a Bullfinch, 

 not even to ascertain by dissection the nature of 

 its food ; but, so far as we have been able to observe 

 this bird when feeding in a state of nature, we 

 should say that it is not insectivorous in the strict 

 sense of the term, although, as before stated, the 

 young are fed upon larvae of various kinds, until 

 they are able to take care of themselves, when 

 they forthwith regale upon buds and fruit. 



The nest is a truly wonderful structure, so 

 loosely put together, and yet so symmetrical in 

 shape. It is formed of twigs and fibrous roots, 

 and looks as if a sudden gust would at once scatter 

 all the materials ; but they are so cleverly woven 

 together, and the interior is so compactly lined 



