358 Passekks. BIRDS. Fringillid.®. 
from which liahit it lias probably obtained its name 
of Bramhling and Bramble Finch ; it is seen feeding 
in stubble-fields in company with the Chaffinches, 
Yellow Hammers, and other finches. 
THE GOLDFINCH (Cardtielis elegans), the most 
beautiful of the British finches, and one of the most 
elegant of British birds, is so well known as a cage- 
favourite that any description of him is unnecessary. 
He is found abundantly in most parts of Europe, dwell- 
ing during the spring and summer principally in orchards 
and gardens, but, during the autumn and winter, fre- 
quenting the fields in large flocks to feed upon the ripe 
seeds of thistles, dandelions, plantains, and other wild 
plants. When thus engaged, the flock of bright-phim- 
agod little birds presents a most pleasing spectacle; 
they may be seen clinging in every possible position to 
the stems of the thistles, picking the feathered seeds 
from their heads, or every now and then flitting from 
one patch to another, with an elegant undulating flight, 
accompanied by a continual twitter. The song of this 
bird is very agreeable and often well sustained, fully 
justifying the high estimation in which, notwithstand- 
ing his abundance, he is held as a cage-bird. He is 
also of a very familiar and docile disposition, soon 
becoming attached to those who feed and take notice 
of him, and readily learning to perform many little 
tricks. 
The nest of the Goldfinch is a very pretty cup- 
shaped structure of moss, grass, fine roots, and twigs, 
often intermixed with other suitable materials, and lined 
with down, feathers, and hair. The female lays four 
or five pale bluish eggs, marked with a few pin-ple and 
brown spots and lines. 
THE SISKIN {Carduelis spimis), also called the 
Aberdevine, is a winter visitor to this country, arriving 
in considerable flocks from the high northern latitudes 
of Europe in the autumn. It is more abundant in 
the northern parts of Great Britain than in the south, 
but a few specimens a])pear to remain occasionally 
through the summer, and to breed even in the vicinity 
’of London. In the highlands of Scotland a few pairs 
generally remain and breed. The male is rather more 
than four inches tind a half in length ; the top of his 
head is black, his back is greenish-olive, with a few 
longitudinal black streaks; the wing feathers are black, 
tipped and bordered with yellow ; the tail is slightly 
forked, yellow at the base, and black at the tip ; and 
the whole lower surfiice is yellowish-green with numer- 
ous black streaks, and the chin and throat black. 
The female is rather smaller than the male, grayish- 
olive above, and grayish-white beneath, streaked as in 
the male with hlack. The Siskin feeds upon seeds of 
dilferent kinds, and has only a twittering note. It is, 
however, often paired with the canary by bird-fanciers, 
as the mules have a song which, unlike that of the 
canary, is not too loud to be borne in a room. 
THE YELLOW BIRD {Carduelis tristis), an inhal)itant 
of the United States, where it is also called the Gold- 
finch, is a small species, measuring only four inches 
and a half in length. The general colour of its plumage 
is a rich brown-yellow, becoming white towards the 
rump and vent ; its wings and tail and the fore part of 
the head are black. This is the summer dress of the 
male ; in the autumn his colour changes to a brownish- 
olive, in which costume he closely resembles his partner. 
The song of this bird resembles that of the European 
Goldfinch, but is much weaker. Its food consists of 
seeds, and like its European namesake, it is very 
partial to those of the composite plants, which it picks 
out of the heads whilst clinging to the plant in almost 
any position. The nest is a neat stnicture, usually 
placed amongst the twigs of an apple tree ; the female 
lays five nearly white eggs, and usually rears two broods 
in the season. 
THE CANARY BIRD {Carduelis canaria). This 
well-known bird, a native of the Canary Islands and 
of Madeira, has long been introduced into Europe, 
where it is now bred in captivity in great numbers, 
on account of its great power of song. Our caged 
canaries vary greatly in colour, some of them being of 
a nearly pure bright yellow, with only a whitish tinge 
on some parts of their plumage ; whilst others have 
the wings and tail, or oven the whole upper surfiice, 
more or less tinted with olive-brown. In the wild birds 
the brown colour predominates. In Madeira tlie 
Canary, according to Dr. Heineken, builds in thick 
bushes and trees, forming its nest of roots, moss, 
feathers, and hair; it lays from four to six pale-blue 
eggs, and breeds five or six times in the season. Even 
in the wild state it is a delightful songster ; having, 
says Dr. Heineken, “much of the nightingale’s afid 
skylark’s, but none of the woodlark’s song.” 
It is not our intention to describe the different 
varieties of this admirable songster which have been 
produced in the course of a domestication extending 
now over more than three centuries. These will he 
found fully treated of, with a full discussion of all their 
qualities, in the works of the bird-fanciers, amongst 
which Bechstein’s “ Chamber birds ” holds a leading- 
place. The business of breeding canaries and mules, 
or hybrids between the Canary and other Finches 
(especially the Linnet and Goldfinch) is carried on to 
a considerable extent even in this country; but it is 
in Germany that it attains to its highest development. 
Here the birds are kept in large aviaries, and tended 
with great care, and it is from Germany that by far 
the greater portion of onr best birds is derived. 
THE LINNET {Linota cannahina), another well- 
known British Finch, is of a chestnut-brown colour 
above, pale-brown beneath, with the quill feathers of 
the wings and tail nearly black and edged with white ; 
the male, during the spring and summer has the 
crown of the head and the breast bright red. Its 
total length is about five inches and three quarters. 
The female is a little smaller than the male, and has 
the upper surface rather paler, but variegated with 
patches of dark brown. 
The Linnet is an abundant bird in the British 
islands, and is found very commonly in all parts of 
Europe, extending thence to the eastward as far as 
Japan. It does not appear to migrate, but collects in 
large flocks during the autumn and winter seasons. 
During the breeding season, the Linnets frequent furzc- 
covered commons, and their nests are usually built in 
the thickest part of a furze bush. It is composed ol 
small twigs and grass, and lined with wool, sometime.s 
