Various Special Birds, 39 



pluming themselves, and twittering, and playing all 

 sorts of tricks. 



Goldfinches to become accomplished should always 

 be brought up from the nest. But though they 

 are certainly more difficult to tame when they are 

 old, the little " grey pates," i.e. birds of the same 

 season, are most difficult to rear, unless they 

 can be brought up by old birds from the nest. If 

 reared like Bullfinches, adding a little strong tea in 

 one of the water glasses, when they begin to moult, 

 saves the lives of many of them. 



In any place where birds are kept at all, I think 

 that a tolerable number of these pretty Goldfinches are 

 really irresistible. I do not believe that they hurt 

 one another much, even though they do pretend to 

 quarrel, in spite of their long sharp bills and their 

 tremendous clamour, which sounds so very warlike ; 

 and they look so ridiculous when they take offence, 

 and sit sulky on their perch, holding it extremely 

 tight all the time, sitting almost on their feet, but 

 at the same time so upright as to seem not unlikely 

 to tumble over backwards. 



A fir-tree in a pot in a sitting-room, and three 

 or four Goldfinches to hop about upon it, is as 

 constant an amusement as anything of the sort I 

 know ; and they are wonderful birds, too, for retiring 

 to their cage. After an hour or two's play, and a 

 good bath, if attainable, they hop off home again, 



