94 The Goldfinch. 
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ee 
pale flesh-colour. Length, five inches. The female 
differs but little from the male. Eggs greenish-white, 
spotted at the larger end with purple-brown. 
On account of the beautiful plumage as well as the 
song of the Goldfinch, it is greatly desired for a cage 
bird, and is known better by a great number of persons 
in a large town only as a tame bird, while the wild 
song and habits of this splendid little songster are lost 
to them; therefore, when paying a visit to some country 
friend, and wishing to know a little more about the 
Goldfinch, when taking a walk in spring near some 
elm trees by the road-side, not far from cottages, or if 
near an orchard, they hear a song proceeding from trees 
close by, resembling the one so often heard by them in 
town, they find at last, after close inspection, on the top 
of some of the high branches of the trees, their favou- 
rite Goldfinch perched, and hear his frequent warbles 
as he sits near his mate wiling away the time, as she 
is arranging the nest or sitting upon the worshipped 
eggs, making her life most happy. When kept in a } 
cage, this bird can be taught to perform many amusing 
tricks utterly against the true nature of birds. Cages 
are made with a well and a small bucket attached to 
it, which the Goldfinch can be taught to raise when 
