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THE LADIES 5 MAGAZINE OF GARDENING. 
on dark nights, where not one was to be seen during the day. Their 
plumage is varied with black, brown, orange, yellow, and white ; and 
they are about the size of the chaffinch, to which they bear some 
resemblance. 
The Goldfinch ( F . carduelis ).—This is one of the most beautiful of 
our native birds; and it needs no description, from its being so commonly 
seen as a vocal captive. There is something peculiarly superior about 
this bird; his voice is rich and metallic; his attire splendid; and his 
nest is as genteelly formed and comfortably furnished as any lady’s bed¬ 
room. The females choose thick, twiggy, low trees to build their nests 
in, and always at a distance of twelve or fifteen feet from the ground. 
A lime tree which has been clipped into form near a building is a 
favourite place; and next to that, fruit trees, particularly pears in 
orchards or gardens, afford convenient sites for holding their snug little 
nests. They lay four, sometimes five eggs, and these are the most 
delicate objects imaginable : the shell is pure white, almost transparent, 
and prettily dotted with pale brown and red towards the larger end. 
The young are fed with small caterpillars, and groundsel seeds; and 
after leaving the nest they keep in company with the old ones till next 
pairing season. A person acquainted with the notes and manners of these 
birds can easily tell whether they are engaged in the business of nidifica- 
tion. At all other times they, like other finches, while flying, sound a 
short note or trill at every bound of their wings, and this is loud enough 
to be heard at a considerable distance; but when in the breeding season 
they fly from tree to tree, this trill of their voice is uttered so softly, in a 
kind of whisper, that it is scarcely audible, and especially if very near the 
nest. By this precaution of the birds in endeavouring to conduct their 
domestic affairs as quietly as possible, their house and home is often 
discovered. 
The goldfinch is no less admired for his song than for the rich brilliancy 
of his colours. No bird is more easily tamed, nor does any one form a 
stronger attachment to his mistress or keeper. The goldfinch breeds readily 
with the canary-finch in confinement; and we once knew of a hen canary 
wffiich escaped from her cage into the garden, and there, having consorted 
with a goldfinch, made a nest in a hedge, and hatched a brood, which, with 
the mother, were taken and reared by a tradesman in the neighbourhood. 
But the great merit of the goldfinch remains to be noticed. To it the 
farmer is much beholden, for assisting to keep his fields free from one of 
the most detested weeds; namely, the lance-leaved thistle (Carduus lan- 
ceolatus ), and other species of the same family. Throughout the dreary 
months of winter the goldfinches subsist chiefly on the seeds of thistles. 
