266 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Beauty of plumage, says the lively Count de 

 Buffon, melody of song, sagacity, and docility of 

 disposition seem all united in this charming little 

 bird, which, were it rare, and imported from a 

 foreign country, would be more highly valued. 

 Goldfinches begin to sing early in the spring, 

 and continue till the time of breeding is over. 

 When kept in a cage, they will sing the greater 

 part of the year. In a state of confinement they 

 are very engaging, being much attached to their 

 keepers, and will learn a variety of little tricks, 

 such as to draw up small buckets containing their 

 water and food, to fire a cracker, and such like. 

 They construct a neat and compact nest, which is 

 composed of moss, dried grass, and roots, lined 

 with wool, hair, the down of thistles, and other soft 

 and delicate substances. The female lays five 

 white eggs, marked at the larger end with spots of 

 deep purple. They feed their young with cater- 

 pillars and insects; the old birds feed on various 

 kinds of seeds, particularly those of the thistle, and 

 occasionally on the seeds of the Scotch fir. 



Goldfinches breed with the Canary; this inter- 

 mixture succeeds best between the cock Goldfinch 

 and the hen Canary, whose offspring are produc- 

 tive, and are said to resemble the male in the 

 shape of the bill, and in the colours of the head 

 and wings, and the hen in the rest of the body. 



