﻿BIRDS. 
  93 
  

  

  its 
  wants 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  situations 
  it 
  excavates 
  holes 
  fit 
  for 
  its 
  

   purpose, 
  and 
  breeds 
  in 
  comparative 
  peace, 
  its 
  only 
  enemy 
  

   being 
  " 
  enlightened 
  man 
  ! 
  " 
  

  

  Section 
  OSCINES 
  CURVIROSTRES. 
  

   Family 
  CERTHIIDiE. 
  

   Genus 
  CERTHIS, 
  Linn. 
  

   Certhia 
  familiaris, 
  Linn. 
  Tree 
  Creeper. 
  

  

  Common 
  and 
  resident 
  ; 
  occurring 
  in 
  ail 
  the 
  plantations 
  

   and 
  forests 
  throughout 
  " 
  Dee." 
  Owing 
  to 
  the 
  solitary 
  habits 
  

   of 
  this 
  species, 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  supposed 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  

   abundant 
  ; 
  but 
  those 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  bird 
  and 
  who 
  frequent 
  

   its 
  haunts 
  can 
  see 
  that 
  its 
  numbers 
  are 
  far 
  from 
  being 
  

   inconsiderable, 
  and 
  that 
  this 
  useful 
  little 
  bird 
  is 
  ever 
  busy 
  

   in 
  its 
  labour 
  of 
  hunting 
  for 
  food, 
  which 
  consists 
  of 
  larvae, 
  

   flies, 
  and 
  beetles 
  that 
  lurk 
  in 
  the 
  bark 
  and 
  young 
  shoots 
  of 
  

   trees. 
  

  

  Section 
  OSCINES 
  CONIROSTRES. 
  

   Family 
  FRINGILLIDiE. 
  

   Sub-Family 
  FBINGILLINM. 
  

   Genus 
  CARDUELIS, 
  Brisson. 
  

   Carduelis 
  elegans, 
  Stephen. 
  Goldfinch. 
  " 
  Goldie." 
  

  

  This 
  elegant 
  bird 
  has 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  back 
  been 
  on 
  the 
  

   march 
  towards 
  extinction. 
  In 
  the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A. 
  its 
  name 
  appears 
  

   in 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  birds 
  for 
  the 
  parishes 
  of 
  Birse 
  and 
  Strichen. 
  

   In 
  the 
  latter 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  : 
  " 
  Of 
  late 
  years 
  the 
  Goldfinches 
  have 
  

   quite 
  disappeared." 
  " 
  Of 
  singing 
  birds, 
  the 
  Thrush, 
  the 
  

   Blackbird, 
  and 
  the 
  Goldfinch 
  are 
  more 
  numerous 
  than 
  I 
  have 
  

   anywhere 
  else 
  seen." 
  (Robertson, 
  Agricultural 
  Survey 
  of 
  

   Kincardineshire, 
  p. 
  397.) 
  In 
  the 
  N. 
  S. 
  A. 
  the 
  Goldfinch 
  is 
  

   mentioned 
  as 
  still 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  parishes 
  of 
  Chapel 
  of 
  

   Garioch, 
  Birse, 
  and 
  Drumoak, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  " 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  

   regarded 
  as 
  uncommon." 
  

  

  " 
  Seldom 
  seen 
  in 
  summer, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  spread 
  over 
  

  

  G 
  

  

  