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British Cage Birds. 



At the beginning of winter, Greenfinches congregate in 

 large flocks, and about October take to flight. Some 

 of them, principally the male birds, migrate, and return 

 the following March ; whilst some, and not a few, remain 

 with us all the year round, and fraternise with Linnets, 

 Chaffinches, and Goldfinches. This bird finds favour with 

 most people who live in villages and outlying districts. 

 In a wild state, it is rather shy, but not otherwise a timid 

 bird, and is not easily scared by a gun. In confinement, it 

 becomes very tame and cheerful, and is a useful accessory to 

 anyone having a collection of performing birds. Greenfinches 

 are best kept in cages ; a box-shaped cage, 16in. by 14in. 

 by lOin., with a wired front, and movable seed-hopper and 

 drinking-tin. The apertures for seed and water should be 

 rather large, say lin. in diameter, as the birds have some- 

 what capacious heads. 



The Greenfinch is not a suitable bird for an aviary where 

 other birds are kept, as it chases them away from the feeding- 

 troughs, and plucks and otherwise mutilates small birds with- 

 out compunction. In the open air, they build their nest in 

 a willow or thorn tree, and sometimes in a hedge, elder-bush, 

 or evergreen, and make a large nest. The exterior consists 

 of hay, grass, stubble, root-fibres, and moss, and the inside 

 is well lined with wool, hair, or feathers. The hen lays twice, 

 and sometimes three times, in a season, from four to six eggs, 

 mostly four or five, of a faint greenish-grey colour, spotted 

 with small reddish-brown spots, especially at the thickest end ; 

 and incubates in fourteen or fifteen days, according to the 

 coldness or warmth of the season. She hatches her first brood 

 about the end of May, although she has been known to do 

 so a little earlier when the weather in the spring and winter 

 has been unusually mild. The Greenfinch is at all times late 

 in commencing its breeding operations. 



Methods of Capture. — The adult birds can be taken in 

 the trap-cage with a decoy, which may be one of their own 

 species or a Linnet ; or with a braced bird, attached to a 

 stake, near a hedge or bush, and some limed twigs. They 

 come readily to call, and are not at all suspicious, and, con- 

 sequently, easily allured. Their call is, *' Yek, yek ! " when 

 on the wing. 



It is not a difficult operation to find the nest of this bird. 



