GOLDFINCH CHAFFINCH LINNET. 



The cocks do not associate with them in winter, though they 

 remain here and come a good deal about the house to be fed, 

 and fight with each other and the Eobins for crumbs. 



One dark stormy night, in late autumn, I heard a fluttering 

 and tapping at my bedroom window, and, on opening it, a young 

 Chaffinch flew into the room, and after circling about for some 

 time, it finally settled for the night on the bed-rail. In the 

 early dawn it flew out, and, like Bede's sparrow, was no more 

 seen. 



Linnets (of sorts) are more or less tinted with rose colour. 

 The common Linnet has it on the breast, the Twite on the rump, 

 the Eedpoll on the breast, and also a brighter crimson on the 

 forehead. Linnets fly about in companies, chirping as they fly, 

 and making a noise something like the sound of distant stringed 

 instruments. 



The Chaffinch is not so musical. He seems in his song to 

 proclaim himself " a little, wee, wee drunken sowie." 



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