GOLDFINCH. 
215 
ing- fewer and rather brighter spots which are dark in the centre, and 
shade off into a thinly spread purple colour. Bolton describes the 
Goldfinch’s nest as bound with blades of dried grass and a few small 
roots ; a circumstance which has not fallen under my observation, 
though this may be sometimes resorted to ; for it may be seen in the 
nests of some chaffinches and not in others. Bolton found his nest in 
the bough of a plane tree, {Acer Pseudo platanus,^ but I have usually 
met with them in orchards, in elms, and more rarely in hawthorn 
hedges. The lining of thistle down ascribed to the nest of the Gold- 
finch, in most books of natural history, must be a mistake, at least with 
respect to the nests built in May and early in June ; for none of our 
native thistles flower before the end of June, and none have down, I 
believe, before July. The bottom of the nest now before me is bedded 
with small tufts of fine wool not much spread, and the sides with the 
down of colts-foot, ( Tusilago farfara^ and only one or two leaves or 
feathers ; whereas the chaffinch uses little down, and seems partial to a 
lining either of cow’s hair alone, or intermixed with a few soft feathers 
neatly woven into the cup of the nest. I have frequently seen the 
Goldfinches use nothing besides cotton-wool for a lining. 
The truth is, that birds will in general take the materials for build- 
ing, which they can most easily procure. “ On the 10th of May, 
1792,” says Bolton, observed a pair of Goldfinches beginning to 
make their nest in my garden ; they had formed the ground work with 
moss, grass, &c., as usual, but on my scattering small parcels of wool 
in different parts of the garden, they, in a great measure, left off the 
use of their own stuff, and employed the wool. Afterwards, I gave 
them cotton, on which they rejected the wool and proceeded with the 
cotton ; the third day I supplied them with fine down, on which they 
forsook both the other and finished their work with this last article. 
The nest, when completed, was somewhat larger than is usually made 
by this bird, but retained the pi’etty roundness of figure and neatness 
of workmanship, which is proper to the Goldfinch. The nest was 
completed in the space of three days, and remained unoccupied for 
the space of four days ; the first egg not being laid till the seventh 
day from beginning the work.” * 
Grahame is correct in saying it uses the down of willows and can- 
nach, {Eriophoroum polystachiond) His sketch is worth quoting : 
“ The goldfinch weaves with willow down inlaid. 
And camiach tufts, his wonderful abode ; 
* Harmonia Buralis, i. Pref. 6. 
