BIRD-LIFE IN FIELD AND HEDGEROW. 143 



like so many birds of showy plumage, this species 

 is often overlooked, and therefore considered to be 

 much rarer than it really is. A few pairs nest 

 every season in the hedgerows round Paignton, 

 and we often come across a pair in the lanes, male 

 and female alternately flitting along in a wavy, 

 dipping manner before us, their white rumps 

 rendering them easy of identification. The clear, 

 rich call-note of this Finch often betrays the 

 bird's presence in dense thickets. In early summer 

 these birds are extremely fond of the seeds of the 

 "star-flower," a bloom which clothes the hedge 

 banks in white masses from March onwards. 

 Although not exactly a typical bird of the hedge- 

 rows, the Goldfinch may be mentioned here. A 

 melancholy interest attaches to this gay-plumaged 

 bird. Time was when the Goldfinch lived here as 

 one of the most familiar species in this land of 

 orchards, but nowadays we consider ourselves 

 fortunate if we see half-a-dozen pairs during a 

 year's observation. These we generally meet with 

 on rough uncultivated lands, in old brickfields, and 

 less frequently on the cliffs or beach. 



Upon the open fields the lover of birds will find 

 much to amuse and interest him. Some of the 



