THE BULL-FINCH. 113 



they will pass hours in the enjoyment of the warmth, 

 chattering with each other in a low and gentle note ; 

 and they will thus regularly assemble during any oc- 

 casional bright gleam throughout all the winter sea- 

 son, 



" and still their voice is song," 



which, heard at some little distance, forms a very pleas- 

 ing concert, innocent and joyous. The linnet is the 

 cleanliest of birds, delighting to dabble in the water 

 and dress its plumage in every little rill that runs by. 

 The extent of voice in a single bird is not remarkable, 

 being more pleasing than powerful ; yet a large field 

 of furze, in a mild sunny April morning, animated with 

 the actions and cheering music of these harmless little 

 creatures, united with the bright glow and odor of this 

 early blossom, is not visited without gratification and 

 pleasure. 



The bull-finch (loxia pyrrhula) has no claims to our 

 regard. It is gifted with no voice to charm us ; it com- 

 municates no harmony to the grove : all we hear from 

 it is a low and plaintive call to its fellows in the hedge. 

 It has no familiarity or association with us, but lives 

 in retirement in some lonely thicket ten months in the 

 year. At length, as spring approaches, it will visit our 

 gardens, an insidious plunderer. Its delight is in the 

 embryo blossoms wrapped up at this season in the bud 

 of a tree ; and it is very dainty and curious in its choice 

 of this food, seldom feeding upon two kinds at the same 

 time. It generally commences with the germs of our 

 larger and most early gooseberry ; and the bright red 

 breasts of four or five cock-birds, quietly feeding on 

 the leafless bush, are a very pretty sight, but the conse- 

 quences are ruinous to the crop. When the cherry 

 buds begin to come forward, they quit the gooseberry, 

 and make tremendous havoc with these. I have an 

 early wall cherry, a mayduke by reputation, that has for 

 years been a great favorite with the bull-finch family, 

 and its celebrity seems to be communicated to each 

 successive generation. It buds profusely, but is annu- 

 ally so stripped of its promise by these feathered rogues, 

 K 2 ' 



