fg ee ZOOLOGY. 
hanging from one of the lower boughs of a small oak a 
more than fifteen feet from the ground ; drawing the limb doy 
me, I found that it contained four nearly fledged young. W 
I was engaged in examining these, the two old birds kept 
terrible chattering, flying so near, that at one time I thon 
were about to attack me. One of the young ones I tried 
in a cage, but failed in my attempt. 
Since then, I have discovered five other nests, three of 
contained half fledged young, the other two had been but 
deserted, and in one case, I saw the parent birds feeding the! 
lings in the neighborhood of the nest. A 
These nests were all found from the 28th of June to the 
- of July, and were with one exception in the thickly inha 
tions of the town and on the edges of the public squares. 
not doubt but that if I had made especial search for 
Should have discovered many more; for in various parts 
town, I saw the black and chestnut of their plumage 
amidst the topmost boughs and heard their clear and pl 
Songs sounding in every direction around me. I counted 
pairs of these birds, of which I shot four. They seem 
as familiar as I have noticed them at the north, and from all ; 
learn are thought one of the common species of birds at this 
and are called Gold-finches, why, I cannot conceive, as 
» prove them not rare, at least in this portion 
state, and establish the fact of their breeding here. 
But, from Dr. Coues not having discovered a nest of i 
cies at Columbia, ‘during two years’ observations at that 
which is not more than thirty miles distant, I am inclined 
