EUROPEAN FINCHES. 49 



raged in Holland some years ago.^ The following 

 is an extract from a German work, on the history 

 of this bird, and my readers may judge for them- 

 selves: "Ruhl is a large manufacturing village 

 inThuringia, the inhabitants of which, mostly cut- 

 lers, have such a passion for the Chaffinches, that 

 some have gone ninety miles from home, to take, 

 with bird-lime, one of these birds, distinguished 

 for its song, and have given one of their cows for 

 a fine songster ; from which has arisen the com- 

 mon expression. such a Chaffinch is worth a cow. 

 A common workman will give a louis d'or, (six- 

 teen shillings sterling,) for a Chaffinch he ad- 

 mires, and willingly live on bread and water to 

 gain the money. An amateur cannot hear one 

 that sings in a superior style the double trill of 

 the Hartz, without being in an ecstasy. I have 

 heard them say that one which knew this melody 

 perfectly, certainly can converse, from its pro- 

 nouncing the syllables so distinctly." There must 

 certainly be a good deal of imagination in all 

 this, or the organs of hearing in Germans must 

 be superior to other men, as the translator of this 

 work, who is a lOver and keeper of birds him- 

 self, says, in a note : " The notes of the wild 

 Chaffinches in this country (England) are finer 



* Bechstein's Cage Birds. 



