274 THE GREENFINCH 



of all our birds, feeding, as it does, on the seeds of 

 noxious plants of which there is a succession all the year 

 round. It ought to be encouraged in orchards, where 

 it feeds its young on small caterpillars, and destroys 

 great numbers of other insects for them. 



Its relative, the Greenfinch (Ligurinus chloris), a 

 common and well-known species everywhere, is not 

 quite so valuable a bird to the agriculturist as the above 

 species. It is w ; ell known that it steals much swede and 

 turnip seed, still it devours quantities of the seeds of 

 such weeds as dandelion, corn marigold, charlock, wild 

 vetch, etc., and the parents capture immense quantities 

 of moths, flies, caterpillars, and other pests for their 

 young. 



A Feast of Thistle Seed. 



