44 THE GOLDFINCH. 



from four to six eggs, which upon a pale sea-green ground are 

 marked with pale-red spots and dots, and deep-red stripes. The 

 young are fed from the crop. These, before they first moult, 

 are grey upon the head. They can be reared upon poppy 

 seeds and roll steeped in milk or water. They have greater 

 facility in imitating the song of the Canary than that of any 

 other bird ; and with this bird they will produce fertile hybrids. 

 To effect this, a male goldfinch is placed with one or two hen 

 Canaries, and they very readily pair, especially if the goldfinch 

 has been reared from the nest. The birds which spring from 

 this union are not only beautiful in color and plumage — often 

 yellow, with the head, wings, and tail of the goldfinch — but 

 they will be found to excel in the sweetness and variety of 

 their song. If you are apprehensive that a pair of valuable 

 Canaries will not thoroughly hatch their eggs, nor let their 

 young ones die, remove them to the nest of a goldfinch ; they 

 will not only hatch them, but will also feed the young, which, 

 when nearly full fledged, may be placed in a cage until they 

 can feed themselves, when no further trouble attends their 

 rearing. 



The characteristics which mark the principal varieties of 

 this species are as follows : — 



1. Goldfinch with a yellow breast. 



2. TJie White-headed Goldfinch. 



3. The Black-headed Goldfinch. 



4. The While Goldfinch. 



5. The Black Goldfinch. 

 The latter are either entirely black, which is caused by 



age or in being fed upon hemp seed, or they retain the yellow 

 spots on the wings. Mr. Shelbach, of Cassel, in Germany 

 reared a nest of goldfinches, which he kept entirely secluded 

 from the light of the sun, covering the cage with cloth. 

 These birds were of a jet-black, with yellow spots, but 

 they changed color after moulting. Those goldfinches which 

 become black before old age, usually resume their former 

 color after moulting, but then they do not usually live much 

 longer. 



