FAMILIAR 



WILD BIEDS. 



THE GOLDFINCH. 



Fringilla cardaells LINNJEUS. Carduelis elegans M'GiLLiVBAY. 



ANY are the birds deserving the 

 attention of ornithologists ; but 

 few more so than the sprightly 

 Goldfinch. Unfortunately, of 

 late years our little friends have 

 greatly decreased in numbers ; 

 and so much has this been de- 

 plored, that, as a last resort, 

 even the aid of Parliament has 

 been invoked to help preserve 

 this and other sweet little birds 

 from extirpation. 



The truthful accuracy of the 

 artist's brush renders description 

 superfluous ; we need merely 

 draw the reader's attention to it 

 to call forth the acknowledgment 

 that the Goldfinch is undoubtedly 

 one of the most strikingly beau- 

 tiful of British birds. It is 

 about five inches in length, the 

 hen being a trifle smaller; but 

 the difference between the sexes 



