CARDUELIS ELEGANS.
CARDUELIS ELEGANS.
Goldfinch.
Fringilla cariielit. Linn. Sytt. Nat., tom. i. p. 118.
albo\ochr«reaj Jaeq. Vog., t. v.
—,--------ochr\icea, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 928.
Passer cardui’Us, PaR.J
Spinus cardw'lis, Koeh. ;
Acantkis carc'uelis, Ktyfc. et Bias.
Carduelis, Hriss. O r» , tom. iii. p.^53.
Carduelis yemailwM at septentrional», Brehm.
--------- - on) •«#«*, Eyton.
' —_ eUyons, Sttph- Cont. o f Shaw's Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 30.
I has heen asserted that there are many persons who have made the circuit of the globe without taking the
ast interest in the wonders and novelties which surrounded them. Such persons would doubtless look with
qual vacancy from the window o f a railway-earriage, without caring to know or perceiving the occupation
f yonder miin who is buffeting his hands a t daybreak on a November morning, when the hoar frost has
overed the ground with a vilvery rime., That man, who stands in the middle o f Wormwood Scrubs, or in
deserted brick-field a little further on, is the Whitechapel bird-catcher, engaged in his daily calling. He
.... U L „ . „ariy, for he has trudged by lamplight through the streets o f London, carrying his nets
l»ck, and i\ now in the country, where h e welcomes the rising o f the sun, and awaits the
inch. If tl»> passing train should send the flock up from the sides o f the deep cutting, the
all-bird willW heard and responded to, and after a few gyrations in the air and exchanges
»spheres;
m bunch of thistles o r by the side of the call-bird between the nets. Foolish
made you prisoners. Hitherto you have enjoyed freedom, you have breathed
i have shared with the donkey the most cherished parts of the th istle; you
lig and pleasing song to the freest o f men, for the dwelling of the gipsy
fteding-grounds. You will now have to struggle for life in an air charged
»t\ over heaths and upland commons will you enjoy; never will you again
A' the cottager's g a rd en : a cage, so small that you will be unable to flutter
l t d the noise of the shuttle will be the response to your song. Still you
t the nature o f the weaver, or indeed o f any one, to act otherwise to so
• i j l t the charms o f your voice that have encaged yon, and which, surpassing
¡reel finch and the Linnet, renders them less in request.
t s atnually captured o f this bird may be inferred from a passage in Mayhew’s
w Which states that 200 persons gain a livelihood by capturing Goldfinches,
» e a iW e r y instance are sold to the metropolitan poor. I know no
ic for7natural objects; and whether this be bestowed upon birds or
\iijoyment in such things are amongst the happiest of their class.
1 by means o f gronnd-nets, many Goldfinches are obtained by other
Li lirds are tak e # from the nests, or immediately after they have flown.
th\ v are called, all o r nearly all find their way to the London bird-
thi uo-h one'of the principal streets of Seven Dials, about the end of
the case. Commercially speaking, the traffic in Goldfinches must be
bird catchers get only two shillings and sixpence or three shillings a
uged between the retailers and the public roust be very considerable,
e ra tii« that the traffic is not confined to London, but is carried on,
most \ ji" the great towns of England.
still great accessions to the numbers o f those always resident
Every observer o f nature who resides on the Sussex coast
iiderable numbers from the south during their vernal flights
larger and finer than those bred in the neighbourhood
nust have r{*c
ind cages on ti
light of the
if voice, thej
lirds t your u
he purest of]
iave poured I forth your tw
tas been in tpe midst of
vith impurities; no more
mild among I he apph'-bioi
,-our wings, vi ill be yom j
vill be well treated, for^it
pretty a bird s it ¡* y0^ *>
How v a s t* us! b,
London Lal'o ir an*
.linnets, and inher
aste more u i n i r
lowers, the family
Jesides the numbe*
irtifices, and tbous
Hiese bald pates c
lealers; and you 1
June, to satisfy yo®
something g re a t; for amiolMRi
lozen, the amount o f money «
sspecially when we take into1, <
though o f course to a less e p to
With us the Goldfinch is n si
in this country arrive from tl
will tell you that Goldfinches
in March o r April, and t
of Loi
which ip
Will
elf i at l
ationory fa
e Confine
April, anu tnax (r a n tuiv-ii,*- ^ uv
Whence have this race come ?\and to what locality are they proceeding ? are qucsuo