COMMON GOLDFINCH. 
275 
and disappearing in the districts of Scotland 
where wood and cover becomes scarce. In the 
breeding season it frequents gardens and the shrub- 
bery, or the partially cultivated pleasure grounds, 
frequently placing its nest on the fruit trees, and 
near situations where work is constantly going on. 
The nest has been often remarked for the beauty 
of its workmanship, and it is neatly and carefully 
constructed, exteriorly with moss and the lichens 
of the tree on which it is placed, in the interior 
lined with soft materials finely laid flat and rounded, 
but it scarcely comes up to the fashioning of the 
nest of the Chaffinch, or to the care and beauty 
with which the outside of it is worked. During 
winter they assemble in small parties, seldom ex- 
ceeding fifteen or twenty, and frequent commons, 
extensive pasture fields, or the borders of waste 
lands, where the thistles and the horse-knot, 
( centaurea nigra,) or common ragweed, and other 
syngenesious plants, have thriven undisturbed, 
and on the seeds of which they now delight to 
feed. It is in such situations that they are taken 
by bird-catchers in trap cages, or with limed twigs, 
a call bird being used to attract them. 
The Goldfinch is sought after as a cage bird, 
on account of its beauty and clean appearance, 
for its docility and aptness to be taught tricks, 
and to obey its master or mistress, and for its 
song. The latter in confinement is pleasing and 
cheerful, but wants that depth of tone and variety 
of modulation which some of the Sylviadse and 
the Thrushes possess. It becomes very familiar 
