THE SISKIN-FINCH. 63 



birds ; and it is not improbable that they may be restricted 

 to these. 



The gold-finch is one of the favourite cage-birds, as well as 

 one of our finest birds in a state of nature. They are easily 

 tamed, hardy, lively, capable of being taught many little 

 tricks, and, when properly attended to, almost continually in 

 song ; and they live longer in confinement than almost any 

 other of the little birds. They breed in confinement, and 

 mules may be bred between them and the canary-finch ; the 

 best of which are those between the male gold-finch and 

 female canary : they have the bill, head, and wings of the 

 gold-finch, and the rest of the body more resembling the 

 canary. These do not, of course, breed with each other, 

 though there is little doubt that they would breed back to 

 the pure blood of either parent. 



These are all the finches which can be regarded as regu- 

 larly summering and wintering in Britain; but there are 

 other three which visit the country, in the winter chiefly; 

 and as they have not the same cause for their departure at 

 a particular season, as those birds have whose food fails 

 seasonally, they may remain and breed occasionally. These 

 three species are, the siskin-finch, the mountain-finch, and the 

 haw-finch. 



THE SISKIN-FINCH (Fringilla spinus). 



The siskin, which is called the Aberdevine, though it has 

 not the bright colours of the gold-finch, is still a very beau- 

 tiful bird. Its prominent colours are black, bright yellow, 

 sulphur yellow, and a peculiar shade of green, approaching to 

 sage green, but yet so unlike any named shade of the colour, 

 that it has been taken as a named tint, under the appellation 

 of siskin-green. 



The siskin is larger than the gold-finch, and not so firm, 

 and compact in appearance. It is about five inches in length, 



