Some British 
Finches. 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
( 11 2 ) 
size he is about five inches, has a bhwk. 
collar at the back of his head, with the 
front of head and feathers round the 
base of the bill deep or blood red; the 
cheeks, front of neck, and under-parts 
being white; back, dark brown; wings, 
variegated with white, yellow, and 
black; the tail also being black, tipped 
with white. He is a very sprightly and 
beautiful Finch withal, and is a very 
useful one to the agriculturist. 
A Good Architect. 
The Goldfinch builds a very pretty 
and neat nest, this being similar to that 
of the Chaffinch (next Finch having 
attention), though smaller in size, and 
is usually found about the beginning of 
May, though, if the winter has been 
mild, like the Bullfinch a nest may be 
found about the last week in April. The 
nest is placed in the fork of an apple 
or other fruit tree, but sometimes in a 
thick bush, and the bird also favours 
the fir at times. The nest is con¬ 
structed of green bents, moss, lichens, 
thistle and yellow down, feathers, hair 
and wool, but a good deal depends 
altogether on the locality and materials 
it affords. The eggs, of which there are 
usually five, are bluish-white or pale 
grey, spotted with greyish-purple and 
red-brown, and sometimes sparingly 
streaked with same. The Goldfinch 
has a very pleasing and harmonious 
song, which endears it to all keepers of 
British birds as a cage bird. 
An Agricultural Benefactor. 
As I have already stated, the Gold¬ 
finch is a great benefactor to the agri¬ 
culturist, and this is to be specially 
noted in fruit plantations, orchards, 
and gardens. Goldfinches feed their 
young on a great many insects, and 
yearly clear off great quantities of the 
apple aphis and apple sucker, also the 
caterpillars of that very destructive 
moth, viz., the winter moth. They also 
feed on the flower-heads of chickweed, 
groundsel, etc., as well as weed seeds, 
weeds, and grains. They also include 
in their diet plantains, burdock, docks, 
groundsel, sorrel, dandelions, charlock, 
wild mustard, and many other weeds 
which are injurious to crops and enemies 
of the gardener, so we see that the 
Goldfinch is of immense value as a 
destroyer of insects and objectionable 
weeds, and therefore deserves our every 
protection. 
Excels as a Cage Bird. 
He even excels the Bullfinch as a 
cage bird, and together with his beauty 
and pleasing note is greatly sought after 
for domestication. But alas! his virtues 
prove' his downfall, great numbers of 
these beautiful Finches being caught 
every year. Like the Bullfinch, the sad 
fact comes home to us vividly of the 
ever-growing scarcity of the Goldfinch, 
though, from information I glean, per¬ 
haps in a more marked degree than that 
of the former bird, and for the reason 
of this we must look principally to the 
bird-catcher as the primitive cause. He 
is, however, I learn, increasing in some 
districts, but in face of this there are 
districts where the bird is practically 
extinct, or only a few pairs breeding 
annually, and thus a counter-balance is 
formed. Let us hope he will increase 
more and more every year, for by his 
beauty, pleasing song, and great useful¬ 
ness, he is worthy of our most careful 
protection. 
Most Exhibitors ' 1 Eirst Love. 
I have noticed that the youth starting 
in the very interesting and fascinating 
hobby of British bird-keeping almost 
invariably begins with a Goldfinch. I 
presume, because he is a songster easily 
kept in confinement, having a rich 
voice, being altogether beautiful, and 
being comparatively cheap to purchase, 
thus suiting the demands of a shallow 
purse, which is, of course, a great thing 
of itself. For myself, I would strongly 
recommend any boy or youth who an¬ 
ticipates starting in the hobby of wild 
bird-keeping to, perhaps after trying his 
prentice hand at the common Linnet, 
make the purchase of a Goldfinch, as 
he makes a really good pet, and a fine 
house bird. 
