THE CHAFFINCH, 
655 
which sung above the common, no trouble was spared to 
catch it. It is said that if an inhabitant of Ruhla, in the 
Hartz, happened to come across a first-rate bird in the 
woods he immediately returned home, and taking his 
call-bird captured the wild songster. These wanderings 
in search of birds often led to bitter feuds between plucky 
individuals, or the keepers and foresters, for a true Ruhla 
lad was always ready to risk his life for his bird. As to 
the different classes of songsters their name was legion, 
and their individual characteristics infinite ! * 
It is utterly impossible for the uninitiated to describe 
the different strains of the Chaffinch’s song; and it 
suffices for us to say that these names, given in the foot¬ 
note, all bear upon some line or sentence which is supposed 
to resemble the bird’s song. It is useless for us to give 
more than one or two as examples. Take for instance the 
“ Bridegroom,” whose particular song is thought to 
represent the following sentence in German: “Fink, 
Fink, Fink, Fink horst du ? willst du nit den Brautigam- 
zieren?” (Anglice: “Finch, Finch, Finch, Finch dost 
* The following is a list of the local names as given by Dr. A. E. Brehm in the 
original, but which being untranslatable we have appended in German, leaving it to 
the ingenuity of our readers to find their equivalents in the English language:—“ Der 
ein- und zweitheilige, der Wald-, der Schmalkaldner, der harfner und der harzer 
Doppleschlag; das einfache Wirr, das grobe Wirr das Kutschen-, harzer und Hoch- 
zeits gewirr; das Gutjahr (Goodyear) und das Tollgutjahr (Mad Goodyear); das 
Wichtscheer, das Potscheer, das Kienol, das Quakkienol, das Wiirzgebuhr, das 
Nachtsgebuhr; der einfache, der gute und der schlechte Weingesang (the Simple, 
Good and Bad Weinsong); das Watzjeh, das Zeterwatzjeh und Drehwatzjeh; 
der Scharf, gleiche und urnshauser Scharf; das Raadesthier, der Brautigam (Bride¬ 
groom), das Kautzjoi, der Larzer, der Reitzug, der Tannenwalder (Pine Forester), der 
Fiedelman (Fiddler) das Bockshorn (Goatshorn).” In a similar village in Austria 
they have the following nicknames:—“ Den Reitherzu, den Goldschmiedbus, das 
ziehende, lachende, iibergehende Wilfeuer, den gross-und kleinrollenden Sitzaufthiil, 
Musketir, Malvesier, Kuhdieb, Wei, Sparbarzier, Doiteret Mistsoviel, Zitzegall 
Pfingsteln,” &c.— W. J. 
