92 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
the tip? of the quill feathers white. The tail black, but 
mofl of the feathers have a white fpot near their end. 
They inhabit Europe, and are found but in 
fmaller numbers, in Afia, and Africa. 
This beautiful bird, however, diftinguifhed for 
the richnefs of its plumage, interefts us as much 
from the agreeablenefs of its long, and the docility 
of its chara&er. 
Its flight is low, but generally regular, conti¬ 
nued, and in one direction, not up and down, and 
by ftarts, like the Sparrow’s. 
The nert of the Goldfinch is very round, firm, 
and neatly executed, much refembling that of the 
Chaffinch ; it is generally built on a fruit tree, 
on a (lender branch; fometimes they build in 
bufhes, and have generally two broods in a year. 
They are very careful of their young, and feed 
them with caterpillars, and infefts. In a cage 
they are fed with hemp-feed, in a ftate of liberty 
they eat many kinds of grain, and are par¬ 
ticularly fond of the feeds of thirties, and of 
turnips. 
The Goldfinch may be made to breed with a 
female Canary bird ; their offspring refembles the 
Goldfinch, with refpedt to the head, and wings, 
a*id is capable of producing; but not their de¬ 
fendants* 
