The Green-backed Goldfinch 



In pursuit of her supremest duty, the Lady Green-back becomes quite 

 fearless. Not only will she sit quite close under approach, or suffer 

 removal from the nest by hand, but she is not even deterred at nest- 

 building by the presence of a stranger. Spying something suspicious in 

 the top of a slender sapling, I once climbed up a stouter tree and bent the 

 sapling over for inspection. Milady arrived just then with a load of cotton 

 blankets. Although she did look mildly inquisitive, she made careful 

 disposition of her load, and went and came as usual. 



Eggs of the Green-back are described as pale green, greenish blue, or 

 pale blue. This really means that the greener of the two elements in the 

 color scheme fades out and leaves only a paler blue-green. But in any 

 event, the color of these eggs in the cabinet is altogether different from the 

 life color, for this fairy lantern is lighted from within by an orange-red 

 bulb. This may be necessary, but we do not recommend greenish blue 

 as a medium for the transmission of red light. Incubation lasts eleven 

 or twelve days, and infancy as much longer. Of the period of "sweet 

 dependency" which follows, none but a natural born kindergarten teacher 

 is qualified to speak. But like the man running for Congress, we will 

 own, first off, that these babies are the sweetest cherubs that ever were 

 invented. And that is very lucky, because the dear knows that there are 

 about thirty million of them per annum in California. 



Taken in Santa Barbara County Photo by the Author 



"HAIL THEN TO HIS INCREASING MILLIONS" 



A MIXED FLOCK OF GOLDFINCHES AND LINNETS 



iq6 



