212 A DESCRIPTION OP 
body. The female does not share with the male the bright- 
ness of colours in the plumage. Bullfinches build their 
nests in gardens and orchards, and particularly in places 
that abound in fruit-trees, as they are passionately fond of 
young fruit, which they often destroy before it is ripe. 
THE GOLDFINCH, ( Frinyilla cardinalis.) 
THIS bird is also called Thistlefinch, from his fondness for 
the seed of that plant. He is a very beautiful bird ; his 
plumage is elegantly diversified. His form is small, but 
pleasing ; his voice not loud, but sweet. He is easily 
tamed, and often exhibited as a captive, with a chain 
round his body, drawing up with trouble, but yet with 
amazing dexterity, two small buckets, alternately, one 
containing his meat, the other his drink. When caught 
old, the Goldfinch, after a few weeks, if well attended to, 
and gently treated, becomes as familiar as if he had been 
brought up by the hand of his keeper. Some have been 
taught to fire a small piece of artillery, and go through 
the drilling exercise, to the great astonishment of the 
spectators: but the cruel and severe treatment that ani- 
mals undergo, when taught performances altogether con- 
trary to their nature, should prevent us from encouraging 
such exhibitions. 
This bird, as if conscious of the beauty of his plumage, 
likes to view himself in a glass, which is sometimes fixed 
