THE SERIN FINCH. 156 



trees, yet in woods they also appear attached to beech and oak trees ; but 

 I have never met with them by the sides of rivers or streams planted with 

 willows. 



Food. — They feed on all the small seeds found in fields and orchards, 

 particularly groundsel, plantain, garden pimpernel, and others of the same 

 kind. 



In the house, rape, mixed with a little poppy seed, agrees very well with 

 them ; a few grains of hemp seed and husked oats may be added from 

 time to time. 



Breeding. — Their nest is generally placed on the lower branches of 

 apple and pear trees, sometimes on beeches and oaks, but never on willows 

 by the water-side. It is constructed of fine and divided roots, mosses, 

 lichens, principally of those which are farinaceous, the whole being entwined 

 with great nicety, and lined with a thick bed of feathers, horse-hair, and 

 pigs' bristles. They lay three or four, rarely five, eggs of the form of, but 

 rather smaller than, those of the canary ; white, but having at the large 

 end a circle of spots and dots of a bright reddish brown. The hen sits on 

 the eggs thirteen or fourteen days, during which time the male feeds her. 

 He also helps to feed the young ones, which is done by disgorging the 

 food ; the young perfectly resemble the grey linnet ; they may be reared 

 easily on soaked rape seed ; but it is best to take the parent birds, and place 

 them in the cage with their little ones, which they will continue to feed. 

 The young birds remain grey till after moulting, they then attain their full 

 plumage, as described before, but are never so beautiful in the house as in 

 their wild state. After being kept a few years in a cage, the yellow in 

 those taken full grown becomes pale, and fades at length to nearly white. 

 This bird will pair with the canary, siskin, linnet, or goldfinch. 



Mode of Taking — These birds are easily taken in the area, or barn- 

 floor trap, on a decoy bush, and with lime twigs placed near the stalks of 

 plantain. 



Diseases. — With the exception of consumption, of which one I had died, 

 I know of no disease they are subject to. 



Observations. — Of all house birds, these are the most sprightly and in- 

 defatigable songsters. Their voice is not strong, but it is very melodious. 

 The song, with the exception of a few passages, is like the lark's, and 

 might be mistaken for the canary's. In their wild state they sing inces- 

 santly, either perched on the outer branches of a tree, or whilst rising in 

 the air, and gently sinking again to their former situation, or whilst flying 

 from tree to tree. Their call resembles that of the canary, and their habits 

 are also similar to that species. 



They are of a very aftectionate character ; when allowed to range the 

 room with siskins, linnets, and similar birds, they will caress all with the 

 beak, but seem to prefer the company of the goldfinch, whose tones they 

 will imitate, and improve their warbling by it. They are indeed very 

 attractive birds 



