GOLDFINCH. 59 



times the air is full of thistle down. Whilst thus assembled they are always extremely 

 harmonious and their happiness is expressed by their delightful twittering. The flight 

 consists of a series of marked undulations, and, as I have noted already, occasionally 

 of great circles in the air. Late in August and during September we hear on all sides the 

 peculiar clamoring cries of the young birds, and even in October we may see them follow 

 their parents crying for food. 



The Goldfinches are excellent parents and do not like intrusion or a near approach 

 to their domicile. They cry in pityfal notes like he-de-de-de, he-de-de-de, and the kind- 

 hearted observer soon leaves the premises after he has inspected the nest. Among the 

 German settlers in Wisconsin, the Goldfinch is regarded an excellent cage bird. As 

 soon as the young are able to leave the nest, they are placed in a cage and the old 

 birds feed them until they are able to provide for themselves. Then they are taken into 

 the house and are fed like Canaries — with a mixture of rape and Canary seed and now 

 and then a few hemp seeds. I knew a Goldfinch that lived in captivity for thirteen 

 and another for fifteen years. 



Many of the old males are also caught in trap-cages when they arrive firom the 

 South. If caught later when they are paired, they die after a few days. These old 

 birds rarely live longer than a year in the cage, and most of them die in thd course of 

 the first summer or in fall. In the cage our beautiful Goldfinch proves to be a rather 

 delicate bird, and it takes careful nursing in order to succeed with it. It shows a very 

 varied taste in regard to its favorite kinds of seed. The best food consists of a selection 

 of the following seeds: Canary, flax, rape, oat-grits, hemp and lettuce seed, generally 

 diminishing in favor as in the order named. Should the bird show a decided preference 

 for hemp, it is not advisable to let it have too much, as this seed is very fattening. A 

 few seeds each day or every two days are suflScient. Many bird fanciers do not give 

 hemp seed at all. One very important item in the treatment of the Goldfinch consists 

 in providing plenty of gravel or coarse sand, the former being preferable. This gravel 

 or sand assists digestion, and is a great source of pleasure to the bird, besides being 

 conducive to health. 



"The Goldfinch, particularly when in the aviary, very often suffers from diarrhoea 

 and a wasting away of its flesh. When thus attacked, at once separate from the other 

 birds, place in a small cage with plenty of gravel, over which strew some lettuce seed. 

 Feed as recommended, adding plenty of lettuce seed, also giving some chalk in its water, 

 first having deprived the bird until thirsty — say about an hour — not omitting to stir 

 the mixture recently so as to ensure the bird getting its dose of chalk. If it has 

 been previously fed on any green food, it had better be deprived of that luxury, or 

 vica versa."* 



The Goldfinches become very tame in an aviary. One time I kept about a dozen 

 together with Juncos, Field Sparrows, Tree Sparrows, Chipping-birds, etc. When I 

 entered the cage-door with my hand they at once alighted and picked hemp seeds from 

 the fingers. 



• The Illustrated Book of Canaries and Cage-birds, p. 326. Cassel & Co. London, P»ris, and N^w York 



