GOLDFINCH 



THE WILD CANARY 



{Figs. 35, 36) 



OLDFINCH he may be during the 

 summer, but when he replaces his 

 gay black and yellow costume with 

 one of plive-brown he should 

 change his name also if he expects 

 to be recognized by it. His nature 

 he never changes, and summer or winter he is always 

 the same sweet-voiced, cheerful fellow, who calls his 

 gay "per-chic-o-ree, per-chic-o-ree" as he goes bound- 

 ing through the air. 



We may not receive a call from Goldfinch at our 

 feeding shelf, but if we will leave a few old seed- 

 filled sunflowers hanging on their stalks in the gar- 

 den, he and his merry troop will surely visit them. 

 In April they frequent the maples to take toll of the 

 fast swelling buds. Then the very trees seem musi- 

 cal. One can well imagine that every bud is bursting 

 with song as the birds chatter happily while feeding. 



The males are now changing the olive winter plum- 



69 



