NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 43 



bird ; again, another bird sings, " Ring, ring, rattle, Jack 

 white." 



The poor Spitalfields weavers will give 3/. or 41. each for a 

 good chaffinch. These birds are sung in matches for from 11. to 

 51. ; many bird-fanciers will come for miles to hear a good chaf- 

 finch. Most of the matches are sung by gaslight. Two birds 

 are put up at a time in separate cages to sing a match ; fifteen 

 minutes is the time allowed for the singing match, and the bird 

 who does the greatest number of complete songs in that time be- 

 comes the winner. Some birds are called " Chuck wido " birds, 

 some "Jack white," and some "Kiss me dear," from the finish- 

 ing words of the chaffinch's song. The best song birds are to 

 be found in Essex. The average price to a shopkeeper is 3,s. 

 a dozen. Some turn out good birds, some bad, you are as likely 

 to get a good bird for 6<l. as a bad one for Is. 



The greater portion of these finches are " sighted," or as they 

 call it, " done ; " the corner of the eye is slightly touched with a 

 red-hot needle, and the injury is scarcely discernible. They arc 

 kept in little square cages till they can find their food and 

 water before they are " done." It is a most cruel practice. The 

 Anti-Cruelty Society should look to this and stop it at once. 



Chaffinches remain upon the stubble all the winter till 

 they are ploughed out, and move to other localities for food. 

 When driven by snow they abound about stackyards. They arc 

 decidedly migratory ; a larger kind and brighter coloured chaffinch 

 comes from the north and returns in the spring. Mr. Davy has 

 seen the same kind of birds in cages from Germany. London 

 fanciers do not like them ; for their song, as a rule, is indifferent. 



Large flocks of chaffinches come in the September and October 

 nights. Most bird-catchers catch equal numbers of males and 

 females. They are to be found upon the stubble fields and 

 freshly manured ground, and on long litter, until pairing time 

 in spring. 



LINNETS, p. 41. Linnets come from abroad in immense flocks, 

 and locate themselves on stubble where charlock seed abounds ; 

 when spring arrives they go away in flights to their building 

 places. They are taken in clap-nets by thousands, as are the 

 chaffinches. 



The song of the linnet is thus put into words by the London 

 bird-catchers : 



" Hepe, hepe, hepe, hepe 

 Tollaky, tollaky, quakuy, wheet, 

 Keep, pipe, chow, 

 Het;p, tollaky, quakey, wheet, 

 Lug, orcliur wheet." 



