GREENFINCH. 145 



a small paper bag, and borne off in triumph, for what 

 fate I am glad not to inquire. Along the roads and 

 hedgerows in spring and summer, and in the streets and 

 on the quays in winter, we may constantly notice the 

 hardy and sociable Greenfinch " hail, fellow, well met " 

 with the Chaffinch, the Yellow Bunting, and other 

 kindred spirits. 



The form of the Greenfinch is stout, and somewhat 

 heavy ; but the plumage is sometimes very bright and 

 beautiful, the yellow in the wings and tail showing con- 

 spicuously as the bird flies before the observer : on the 

 other hand, very dingy and battered birds are often 

 seen in our cities, some of them hardly distinguishable 

 from a Hen Sparrow, after the smoke and grime of 

 their surroundings. I cannot say much for the song of 

 the Greenfinch ; it may be heard in April, arid consists 

 of one dominant note, syllabled by Meyer as " tway," 

 by Seebohm as " zh," and by others as " a, ee," long 

 drawn out, together with a few twitterings, reminding 

 one somewhat of an "inferior canary." Mr. Witchell 

 gives this note as " zshweeze," and says that it is never 

 followed by other notes, though sometimes given singly. 

 Another plaintive note is heard later in the season, 

 which also much resembles one of that favourite cage- 

 bird. 



In summer the Greenfinch is a sociable bird, and five 

 or six cocks may be heard pouring forth their song high 

 up in the same tree ; two nests have also been found in 

 a similar position upon the same branch. I have also 

 noticed here a curious habit of the Greenfinch, to which 

 Mr. Watters and other writers refer ; it sometimes in 

 the breeding season flies from its perch with a heavy, 



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