NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 351 
bird; again, another bird sings, "King, ring, rattle. Jack 
white." 
The poor Spitalfields weavers will give 3/. or 41. each for a 
good chaffinch. These birds are sung in matches for from 1/. to 
51. ; many bird-fanciers will come for miles to hear a good chaf- 
finch. Most of the matches are sung by gaslight. Two birds 
are put up at a time in separate cages to sing a match ; fifteen 
minutes is the time allowed for the singing match, and the bird 
who does the greatest number of complete songs in that time be- 
comes the winner. Some birds are called Chuck wido " birds, 
some "Jack white," and some "Kiss me dear," from the finish- 
ing words of the chaffinch's song. The best song birds are to 
be found in Essex. The average price to a shopkeeper is os. 
a dozen. Some turn out good birds, some bad, you are as likely 
to get a good bird for 6d. as a bad one for Is. 
The greater portion of these finches are " sighted," or as they 
call it, " done ; " the corner of the eye is slightly touched with a 
red-hot needle, and the injury is scarcely discernible. They are 
kept in little square cages till they can find their food and 
water before they are " done." It is a most cruel practice. The 
Anti-Cruelty Society should look to this and stop it at once. 
Chaffinches remain upon the stubble all the winter till 
they are ploughed out, and move to other localities for food. 
When driven by snow they abound about stackyards. They are 
decidedly migratory ; a larger kind and brighter coloured chaffinch 
comes from the north and returns in the spring. Mr. Davy has 
seen the same kind of birds in cages from Germany. London 
fanciers do not like them ; for their song, as a rule, is indifferent. 
Large flocks of chaffinches come in the September and October 
flights. Most bird-catchers catch equal numbers of males and 
females. They are to be found upon the stubble fields and 
freshly manured ground, and on long litter, until pairing time 
in spring. 
Linnets, ^. 41. — Linnets come from abroad in immense flocks, 
and locate themselves on stubble where charlock seed abounds ; 
when spring arrives they go away in flights to their building 
places. They are taken in clap-nets by thousands, as are the 
chaffinches. 
The song of the linnet is thus put into words by the London 
bird-catchers : — 
" Hepe, hepe, liepe, hope 
Tollaky, tollaky, quakey, wheet, 
Heep, pipe, chow, 
Heep, tollaky, quakey, wheet, 
Lug, orclier wheet." 
