194 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



grey, and the greater part of the primaries is dusky 

 rather than black ; the tail the same, with only dull 

 white spots on the tip of each feather. The young 

 birds of the year have the head, neck and upper 

 parts olive-brown; the white on the wing is less 

 conspicuous ; the throat yellow, bounded by a small 

 line of brown spots, which indicate the outline of the 

 black patch on the throat ; rest of the under parts 

 paler than the upper, each feather tipped with brown. 

 This description of the young birds is taken from 

 Yarrell and Mr. Doubleday's paper. 



The egg of the Hawfinch is generally of a pale 

 greenish ground, marked mostly at the thick end 

 with spots and scrawls of dark dusky, almost black, 

 and a lighter shade of dusky : some varieties are 

 said to be almost, or quite, without spots. 



GOLDFINCH, Carduelis elegans. This, the most 

 beautiful of all our Finches, is, I am glad to say, 

 not very uncommon in these parts, but continues to 

 keep up its numbers in spite of the repeated attacks 

 of the bird-catchers, who come every spring in pur- 

 suit of it, as it is much prized as a cage bird, both 

 for its beauty and its song. It is easily kept in 

 confinement, and, like the Siskin, it may be made to 

 pair with the Canary. 



The Goldfinch is resident here throughout the 

 year, flocking together in small flocks in the winter 

 and spreading over the country in pairs in the 

 breeding-season. It is generally a useful bird, both 



