THE ARKANSAS GOLDFINCH. 



'E often hear this bird called the 

 "wild canary." It does resem- 

 ble our caged canaries in size 

 and color and song. It is a 

 common bird about our homes 

 from April to late fall, and during this time nests, 

 now high, now low, in trees. In winter we miss 

 the finches for a while, on account of their taking 

 trips off to the seed-fields, especially to the sun- 

 flower-patches on the uplands and in the washes 

 of country roads. You may see them in large 

 flocks, feeding upon the brown seeds. They will 

 wait for you to approach them, when they will rise 

 with a whirr, only to settle down on the next 

 group of stalks. They look like the sunflowers, 

 yellow and dark, flitting 

 and flirting about. They 

 seem very happy swinging 

 on the stems and clinging 

 with both feet while they 

 peep under the chin of the 

 bending flower. 



153 



REFERENCE TOPICS. 



Where tame canaries 

 come from ; how 

 raised and taught to 

 sing. 



Sunflowers : mode of 

 growth and structure 

 of seeds. 



