FINCHES. 25 



grains, and berries ; in March on seeds and insects ; in 

 April on seeds, green food, and insects; in May on seeds 

 and insects. Almost all finches that live on seeds and 

 berries feed their young principally on insects," writes Mr. 

 Groom Napier. "In June the chaffinch feeds on insects, 

 berries, and fruits ; in July and August the same, with the 

 addition of a little more seed; in September, October, and 

 November on seeds, berries of many sorts, and grain." 

 During these autumn months it haunts stackyards with 

 flights of sparrows and searches for scattered grain. It will 

 descend in flocks amongst newly sown turnip seed, and does, 

 undoubtedly, a good deal of mischief there. 



In allusion to the frequent notices of the formidable 

 gooseberry grub in the columns of The Field, that excellent 

 observer, Mr. Doubleday, of Epping, observes that a brood 

 of young chaffinches will soon clear a gooseberry bush from 

 these grubs. It is, therefore, the obvious interest of 

 gardeners to protect and encourage chaffinches in the 

 breeding season, instead of taking so much trouble to 

 destroy them or frighten them away. It must be admitted 

 that this beautiful and most cheerful spring songster helps 

 himself to our radish seed as soon as it has germinated ; but, 

 without attempting to palliate this species of petty larceny, 

 may we not regard its services in destroying the gooseberry 

 grub as a full equivalent ? 



The greenfinch. This bird is fond of seeds, and has an 

 extraordinary and insatiable appetite. His value, or the 

 reverse, to British agriculturists is not very clearly defined. 



The goldfinch is not numerous enough to be of much 

 economic consideration. One peculiarly good point he has, 

 namely, a passion for downy seeds of any sort. This was 

 a happy thought of Nature's, and the love of the goldfinch 

 for the pernicious thistle (or rather its wind-scattered seeds) 

 and the like, suggests him as being as useful in regard to 

 numbers as he is unquestionably handsome. 



The bulfinch strips our cherry trees in a very lawless 



