The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1897-07-03
THE AMERICAN GOLD FINCH.

When out for drive or when taking
q stroll in the country or in the subuI lbs
have you ever met with q small bright
yellow bird with little black cap and
long painted black wings in.erlacei with
white. Perched On the dry head of q
will eunflower. picking out the seeds
chirping chetrily his little notes OF
"sxe "sweet," sounding very much
like the call of tame canary. This lit
tie bird ia well KIN ,wn [, all OF Us as the
vii canary, properly named he is III,
America, gold ii lch. He i, not nj
Urstory bird in Nebraska but msy be
found here al the year round. In
winter when lack Frost has spread bis
mantle OF snow and ice over everything,
and the bleak C Id northwest winds
whistle over the plains aud through The
hare LIMBS OF the tres, we lind him
dressed in his thick coat OF fine soft
feathers OF dark dull i've yellow color
appearing quite Giffel emit from what he
does at this time OF ths year when the
sun is bright aud hot and Mother
Nature Las great broad smile for every
one OF her large family OF feathered
children. Now We find him dressed IN
his most beautiful c,lors Of bright
lemon yellow trimmed with black, his
little dark brown eyes sparkling with
merry good nature. These littls Amerl-
cans arc very sociable and fond Of each
Others society and il one OF them hap
pens to be alone, perched in a tree when
a flock OF them are flying over he utte-s
his little call and down they come chirp-
ing and chattering away just as il they
were relating to each other their travels
and experiences in other places. The
fight OF the gold finch reminds one OF the
long roll and swell OF the waves OF thu
sea, At each molten OF the wings they
rise and dip again continually uttsripg
in their fight the twit.er OF "tip, tip
Fir p,e-e-s." Thes, little birds are
sweet sougsters AMI ! never tire oil
listening 10 their soft me low notes.
Their pretty little home is usually found
in q 6 nall tree, such as tie wild plum
or willow. The nest is composed OF soft
material, bits OF fine moss and grasses
the epps are from four to six in number
white very lightly tinged with blue and
dotted ut the large Ell d With reddish
brown spots. When disturbed the
female leaves the nest flying to limb
where she remains while her mate
endeayors to lead the intruder away.
This he does by flying away in front Of
him, lighting, and aRain flying when too
nearly approached. by these tactics
gradually leading him away from bis
homo and when the danger is past they
return home again. During the sum
mer their food consists OF email seeds
They are fond of the lettuce seed and
in some parts Of the country are called
the lettuce bird. In the fall and winter
they feed on wild sunfiower seeds and
dry elder berries and they are very fond
OF the Canada thistle seeds and as they
dig down in the dry head for the seed
they scatter the thistle right and left
which makes pretty sight rs itfoats of
in the breeze. On account OF their fond
pess for these seeds, and as the thistle
seed is only ripe when the gold finch has
assumed his more somber hues he is
often called by persons not well
acquainted with him, the thistle bird
These little fellows are only five inches
long. The female never assumes the
bright colors OF her pretty mate but