46 THE GOLDFINCH. 



his family, the FringiUidt^ which includes the Sparrows and 

 their relatives, he has a short, thick bill, with which to shell 

 the seeds. In common with the rest of our winter birds, he 

 does no small service in keeping down the weeds. In plac- 

 ing the Goldfinch on the thistle, Audubon rendered his 

 portrait true to nature. He is found there more frequently 

 than on any other plant. How often we see him leading out 

 his young family to dine on the seeds of this very common 

 and troublesome weed ! Hence he is sometimes called the 

 Thistle-bird. This natural inclination to aid the farmer in 

 his struggle with noxious plants should especially commend 

 our sprightly little friend, as well as his whole family con- 

 nection, to the kindly consideration of the farmer. Besides, 

 do not the trim form, bright colors, graceful and spirited 

 movements, and cheerful, happy voice of this species, con- 

 tribute constantly to the innocent pleasures of the out-door 

 laborer? Is he not the true messenger of a boundless joy 

 for man as well as for the birds ? 



The winter dress of our bird has nothing attractive. 

 Audubon has described it well and in few words: "Brown- 

 ish-olive above, without black on the head; foreneck and 

 breast grayish-yellow, the rest of the lower parts grayish- 

 white." But this is not the color of the female in summer. 

 Lacking the bright lemon-yellow, black crown, black wings 

 and tail marked with white, which constitute the vernal 

 habit of the male in her plain suit of green, with dusky 

 wings and tail, and shading into yellow underneath she is 

 truly beautiful, as she flits by the side of her gay consort. 

 Have you ever seen the two take each other by the bill and 

 delicately caress each other under the brow of some hill on 

 a beautiful spring day ? 



In its time of nesting this bird is quite unaccountable. 

 Though the male has put on his gay attire, long before the 



