AMONG THE THISTLE-DOWN. 245 



termed the Thistlefinch ; and several of the poets who 

 allude to it make its fondness for the national emblem of 

 Scotland one of its main characteristics. Thus, in some 

 anonymous lines quoted by Wood, we read : 



Hid among the opening flowers 

 Of the sweetest vernal bowers, 

 Passing there the anxious hours, 



In her little mossy dome, 

 Sits thy mate, whilst thou art singing, 

 Or across the lawn seen winging, 

 Or upon a thistle swinging, 



Gleaning for thy happy home. 



Knapp, after giving us a beautiful picture of this bird on a 

 bright autumn morning, sporting in the sunshine, and 

 feeding upon thistle-down, observes, l Harmless to the 

 labours or the prospects of us lords of the creation as so 

 many of our small birds are, we have none less chargeable 

 with the commission of injury than the Goldfinch ; yet its 

 blameless innocent life does not exempt it from harm. Its 

 beauty, its melody, and its early reconcilement to confine- 

 ment, render it a desirable companion. It is captured to 

 cheer us with its manners and voice, in airs and regions 

 very different from its native thistley downs and apple- 

 blossom bowers.' 



In Scotland this bird is commonly called Goldspink, or 

 Goldie. Burns several times alludes to it under the former 

 name, as thus : 



The sober Laverock, warbling wild 



Shall to the skies aspire, 

 The Goldspink, music's gayest child, 



Shall sweetly join the choir. 



In the play of the ' Beggar of Bethnal Green 7 is an allu- 

 sion to a trick said to be still practised by some bird- 

 catchers, although we scarcely believe it possible for the 

 thing to be done so cleverly as to escape immediate detec- 

 tion viz., painting a Sparrow so as to resemble a Gold- 

 finch, and selling it for that favourite bird. One of the 

 characters in this play is made to say, 



