THE GOLDFINCH. 179 



Ireland and the south of Scotland. Its favourite resorts are wooded 

 districts, open fields, commons, and heaths, but it often visits orchards 

 and gardens, especially in the early part of the year. 



It frequently builds in orchard and other trees, and sometimes in 

 hedges, thick bushes, and evergreens in plantations. The nest, which 

 is often placed at a height of five and twenty feet from the ground, 

 is a beautiful specimen of bird architecture, and is most carefully 

 concealed. The female usually constructs it with but little assistance 

 from her partner, who generally perches on the nearest twig and sings 

 gaily while the work is in progress. The outer wall consists of grass, 

 moss, lichens, small twigs, and roots, interwoven with wool and hair, 

 and the interior lining is made up of the down of various plants, 

 feathers, and other soft substances, all laid in with the greatest regu- 

 larity. Herein are deposited four or five delicate thin-shelled eggs, 

 of a pale greyish blue or bluish white, marked with a few spots of 

 greyish purple and brown, and occasionally a few dark streaks. They 

 are laid about the end of May, and hatched in thirteen or fourteen 

 days. The female rarely leaves the nest, and is fed by her mate. 

 The young are reared on caterpillars and small insects, and when able 

 to fly may be seen in company with their parents, roving over the 

 commons and uncultivated lands in search of the seeds of the thistle, 

 plantain, groundsel, and other plants. A prettier sight than one of 

 these little family parties cannot well be imagined; they flit about in 

 the most graceful manner, and cling to the stems head downwards, 

 and in all kinds of queer attitudes, scattering the down from the 

 thistle heads all around them as they pick out the seeds by means of 

 their long pointed beaks. 



The song of the Goldfinch, which may be heard from the end of 

 March to the middle of July, is very sweet and varied. The ordinary 

 call note is represented by the words 'tizflit,' or 'sticlilit.' 



Goldie, Goldspink, King Harry, Redcap, and Proudtail are some of 

 the popular names that have been bestowed on this beautiful little 

 bird of which we have now to describe the plumage, etc. The male 

 is about five inches in length; the irides are dark brown; the legs 

 and toes flesh-colour, and the claws brown. The front of the head is 

 crimson, and the same colour extends from the base of the beak 

 underneath the eye. The crown, and a semicircular band running 

 down the sides of the neck, are black. The space between the black 

 line and the crimson is white, which also extends round the throat. 

 The whole of the under surface of the body is dull white, tinged on 

 the sides with wood brown. The back is reddish brown on the upper 

 parts and yellowish on the lower. The tail is black, tipped with 



