ornithologist's text-book. 59 



cherry, a may duke by reputation, that has for years 

 been a great favourite with the bullfinch family, and 

 its celebrity seems to be communicated to each 

 successive generation. It buds profusely, but is 

 annually so stripped of its promise by these fea- 

 thered rogues, that its kind might almost be 

 doubted. The Orleans and greengage plums next 

 form a treat, and draw their attention from what 

 remains of the cherry. Having banquetted here 

 awhile, they leave our gardens entirely, resorting 

 to the fields and hedges, where the sloe bush in 

 April furnishes them with food. May brings other 

 dainties, and the labours and business of incuba- 

 tion withdraw them from our observation. 



" The idea that has been occasionally entertained, 

 that this bird selects only such buds as contain the 

 embryo of an insect, to feed on it, and thus free us 

 of a latent colony of caterpillars, is certainly not 

 correct, It may confer this benefit accidentally, 

 but not with intention. The mischief effected by 

 bullfinches is greater than commonly imagined, and 

 the ground beneath the bush or tree, on which they 

 have been feeding, is commonly strewed with the 

 shattered buds, the rejectraents of their banquet; 

 and we are thus deprived of a large portion of our 

 best fruits by this assiduous pillager, this ' pick-a- 

 bud,' as the gardeners call it, without any redeem- 

 ing virtues to compensate our loss. A snowy, 

 severe winter makes great havoc with this bird. It 

 feeds much in this season upon the fruit of the 

 dog-rose, ' hips,' as we call them. When they are 

 gone, it seems to pine for food, and is starved, or 

 perhaps frozen on its roost, as few are observed to 

 survive a long inclement winter. But it is not the 

 buds of our fruit-bearing trees only that these de- 

 structive birds seek out; yet in all instances I think 

 it will be observed that such buds as produce leaves 

 only are rejectedj and those which contain the 



