154 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



Always the sunflowers are in blossom, and seed 

 at the same time, and the green of the leaves is 

 like the green of the canary's back. The gold- 

 finch might properly be called the sunflower-bird. 



The black patch on the top of a male canary's 

 head makes one think of a skullcap pulled down 

 to the brows. And this bird with the black skull- 

 cap is the singer of the family. His song is not 

 prolonged, but it is very sweet while it lasts, 

 though some people think it too plaintive to 

 enjoy. The female has the same plaintive note, 

 especially at nesting-time. It is with the mother 

 canaries as with many other female birds who do 

 not make a common practice of singing, at 

 nesting-time they are heard to respond to their 

 mates and to twitter or sing low lullabies. We 

 are able to locate the nest by this call-note of the 

 female, which she utters almost constantly while 

 sitting. 



The Arkansas goldfinch and his wife are never 

 far apart. They answer each other if separated 

 even for a few feet, and seem never to grow weary 

 of each other's company. 



They love our orange and lemon orchards, the 

 loquat trees, the cypress hedges, the walnut 

 groves, and especially low-branching apple trees. 

 They build their beautiful nests in any of these, 



