THE GOLDFINCH 89 



ing, Is perhaps a more general favourite than any other British 

 bird. Though in its natural state less familiar with man than the 

 Redbreast, and inferior as a musician to the Lark, the Thrush, and 

 others of our resident birds, it is more frequent as a caged bird than 

 either, and thus is known to tens of thousands of city folk who 

 never heard the wild song of the Thrush, nor saw a Redbreast under 

 any circumstances. In a cage it is attractive from its lively move- 

 ments, its agreeable song, and yet more from its docility, as it not 

 only is readily tamed, but may be taught to perform various tricks 

 and manoeuvres utterly repugnant to the nature of birds. Its 

 affection, too, for its owner is not less remarkable. Of this many 

 instances are, I doubt not, familiar to the reader ; but the following 

 is not so well known. There was some years since in a small town, 

 about twelve leagues from Paris, a tame Goldfinch, which belonged 

 to a carrier, and which for many years regularly accompanied his 

 master twice a week to and from the metropolis. At first it used 

 to content itself with perching on the driver's seat, and from time 

 to time flying a short distance ahead, or gambolling with other 

 birds of the same kind that it encountered on the way. By and 

 by it seemed to grow dissatisfied with the slow pace of the wagon, 

 and took long flights in advance, still returning from time to time 

 to its accustomed perch. At length, becoming more enterprising, 

 it would leave its master in the lurch, and fly in advance the whole 

 of the way, and announce his approach at the house in the city 

 where he put up. If the weather was stormy, it would quietly 

 await his arrival, taking up its quarters by the fireside ; but if the 

 weather was fine, it would, after making a brief stay, return to 

 meet him. At every meeting, caresses and congratulations were 

 exchanged, as fondly as if they had been separated for years. This 

 romantic attachment was at length terminated by the disappearance 

 of the bird, but whether through the instrumentality of a cat, a 

 Hawk, or some mischievous boy, was never discovered. 



Whatever doubt may exist as to the services rendered to man 

 by the Sparrow and Chaffinch, about the Goldfinch there can be no 

 difference of opinion. The farmer has no better friend, and yet 

 an abundance of Goldfinches on an estate is anything but a welcome 

 sight ; for it denotes abundance of its favourite food, the seeds of 

 thistles. Where these weeds flourish, there, for the most part, 

 Goldfinches are to be met with in considerable numbers. The 

 French name, Chardonneret, denotes ' a frequenter of thistles ', 

 and the ancient Greek and Latin name for it, Acanthis, is of similar 

 import ; the Acanthis, Pliny tells us, 1 bears animosity against no 

 living creature but the donkey, a beast which eats the flowers of 

 thistles, and so deprives it of its food. To this dietary it adds 

 the seeds of dandelions, centaury and other weeds, but shows a 

 decided preference for the seeds of the compound flowers. Its 



1 Nat. Hist., lib. x., cap. lxxiv. 



