The American Goldfinch 231 



When they "light upon the thistle down," as is shown in 

 the ilhistration, they may have either of two objects in view, 

 namely, the getting of the seed for food or the thistle down 

 for the building of their nest. The nest is usually built near 

 the ground and placed in the crotch of a coarse growing weed, 

 or in a bush or low growing tree. The outer or cup part of 

 it is built compactly of grass, moss or vegetable matter, well 

 woven together and lined with thistle or other plant down. 

 The female builds the nest and it takes her about five days 

 to build it. The male attends her while she does the work and 

 cheers her with his song. In the nest, when completed, is laid 

 from four to six white eggs, tinged with blue. Incubation is 

 attended to by the female, during which time the male is very 

 attentive to and feeds her. In his picture of the gold finch 

 Ernest Seton Thompson portrays the male feeding the female 

 and entitles it "Goldfinch Gallantry." Incubation lasts about 

 fifteen days, and in another fifteen days the young are strong 

 enough to leave the nest. Both parents work industriously in 

 feeding the young. 



The flight of the goldfinch is wavy, undulating and grace- 

 ful, and its song has the same characteristics, and most gen- 

 erally is sung while the bird is in flight, and "per-chic-o-ree, 

 per-chic-o-ree" is a fair interpretation of it. 



"Bit of sunshine taken wings 

 Or a spray of golden-rod? 

 On thistle top he sways and sings, 

 Or flung high to the sun, he sings 

 'Perdita Perdita Perdita 

 'Dita Sweet, Sweet ' " 



"At your approach," as Miss Blanchan says, "the busy 

 company rises on the wing, and with a peculiar, wavy flight, 

 rises and falls through the air, marking each undulation with 

 a cluster of notes, sweet and clear, that come floating down- 

 ward from the blue ether, where the birds seem to bound along 

 exultant in their motion and song." It is by their flight that 

 they are most easily distinguished from the sparrows in the 

 winter season. 



I have known these birds from my earliest childhood. I 

 remember well how they came to our garden and fed upon the 



