52 THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGER. 



tall, troublesome weeds that grow among the 

 wheat. 



If the little Finches were let alone, they would 

 devour an immense quantity of these seeds, and 

 prevent the weed from spreading. . 



There are a vast number of the Finch tribe in 

 England, and you know them well. There is the 

 Goldfinch, the Bullfinch, the Chaffinch, and many 

 more. It has been said that the number of weeds 

 they keep under would cover many thousand acres. 



How important it is to know our friends from 

 our foes, and to spare the little birds ! 



I should not have introduced the Finch to your 

 notice, but that he has a relation in these Tropical 

 countries of which we are speaking. 



Here he is in the Picture, and you can perceive 

 how much more gaily he is dressed than our 

 humble birds at home. His colours are brilliant. 

 He wears green, and red, and blue ; and his plum- 

 age looks like velvet. He is a very familiar bird 

 in the Tropics, and fills the same place that the 

 Sparrow does at home. He is to be seen every- 

 where, glittering and flashing among the trees in 



