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HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE-GOS SIP. 



merely that they have knocked down a bird, thrust 

 it into the pocket and carried it home for the children 

 or cat. 



The bird I found was remarkably handsome ; had 

 it been a foreigner, no doubt it would have com- 

 manded a high price. Its beautiful crest of soft light 

 brown feathers, striped with black, surmounting a 

 beautifully-shaped head, handsomely ornamented by 

 an intelligent light-coloured eye? the back and 

 breast a beautiful soft brown ; pinions of the wing 

 the same, from which spring some pretty blue 

 feathers, barred by three or more shades blending 

 rom a very light to almost black ; the quill of these 

 feathers being a jet black, and as fine as a hair, 

 giving the whole a remarkably handsome appear- 

 ance. The largest of the wing-feathers are fringed 

 with a bluish- white, the upper long ones are a 

 velvety black, about the centre of which each has 

 an elongated serrated white mark, fringed with 

 pretty blue ; the whole being crowned by a few 

 beautiful black feathers, legs a delicate pinky hue, 

 quite in keeping with the body of the bird so feebly 

 here described, known as the common jay. 



The Jay can be domesticated, and will be found a 

 cheerful companion ; he can be taught to talk well. 

 He will require the same treatment as the magpie. 

 Both birds must be kept clean, and will require a 

 plentiful supply of water, as they are passionately 

 fond of bathing. At this time of the year either of 

 these beautiful mocking-birds can be purchased at 

 less than two shillings each. 



Our next is the Jackdaw, which is soon domesti- 

 cated, but is scarcely worth the trouble ; he has 

 some cunningness, but barely enough to keep him- 

 self at liberty ; it is not difficult to catch a tame 

 jackdaw, but not so with the above-mentioned 

 birds, that are rarely caught by any device. He 

 will bear confinement well, but should have a large 

 cage ; he is capable of great attachment, and can be 

 taught a few words. His tone of voice is not so 

 good as the magpie or jay. He should have flesh 

 and a bountiful supply of water. 



The Starling is very worthy of notice as a 

 mocking-bird; he has a beautiful plumage, purple 

 and gold: his feathers are a rich purple, with a 

 yellow spot on the tips ; the purple showing beau- 

 tiful shades, according to the exposure to light. He 

 has a fine yellow bill, which, for the size of the bird, 

 is rather long. He is extremely cunning, and when 

 in the field seems to exert the whole of his ability for 

 self-preservation;, he is not easily shot, although 

 within range of your gun, taking care to keep close 

 to cattle, so that you could not well hit one without 

 the other. His nest is frequently built in a tree near 

 your door, the entrance of which will not admit the 

 hand, and by his perfect composure seems to con- 

 vince you of his well-chosen security. 



The Starling will sometimes live to a great age. 

 I recently heard of one, now in the possession of a 



commissioner from the Danish Government, that 

 lost a leg in. the Crimea at the time of the Prussian 

 war. Jacob was furnished with a quill fastened by 

 apiece of India-rubber, a substitute which answered 

 the purpose well. 



The Starling is an excellent mocking-bird ; he 

 can be taught to say almost anything ; besides 

 which, he will whistle several tunes, at the same 

 time becoming very tame. 



All birds that are to be taught must be brought 

 up from the nest, or your exertions will be in vain. 

 Perhaps of the birds here mentioned, the Starling is 

 the best to keep in a cage ; he will eat almost any- 

 thing, but cannot do well without a little raw meat. 



' C. J. W. IlTOD. 



THE CAPTIVE BULLFINCH. 



"TE the majority of bird-lovers, male aud female, 

 -*- old or young, were aware how attractive 

 a bird our English Bullfinch is when caged, the 

 demand for this species would ere long exceed the 

 possible supply. Now, most years, a certain supply 

 of these birds is in the market in December or 

 January, the price then varying from two to three 

 shillings ; whereas a few months later you will be 

 asked five or seven, on the plea that the individuals 

 offered you have become tame, and are also in full 

 song. The latter may be true, the former quality is not 

 one birds readily acquire in bird shops, unless they 

 may happen to have been considerably short of food. 

 In fact, tameness in birds, as in most other animals, 

 is a thing produced by the giving of particular 

 attention to the object in which it is sought to be 

 developed — it is a result of culture usually, and the 

 ordinary vendor of birds has scarcely the time, or 

 the inclination, to make attempts at taming many 

 out of the hundreds which pass through his hands. 

 Moreover, they have at the aforesaid establishments 

 some mode of terrifying for the nonce, a fiuttering 

 bird into seeming quiescence. Therefore, gentle 

 reader, when about to purchase a feathered biped 

 do not be persuaded to pay an additional premium 

 for a bird "warranted to be tame," because the 

 chances are that you will be swindled thereby. 



Returning to the point we started from, I repeat 

 that an English bullfinch is a far better investment 

 than some may suppose ; and as you can buy a 

 dozen for the same amount you would pay for a 

 German bird, which dies perhaps in a few weeks, or 

 at auy rate, in a year or tw r o, and perhaps treats 

 you to a "mixtie maxtic"of airs (to use Burns's 

 expressive words), instead of the distinctive songs 

 you hoped to listen to. Not that our native bird is 

 at all a bad vocalist. In ordinary descriptive books 

 he is said to have only two or three notes. This is 

 a mistake ; all I have heard in cages giving utter- 

 ance to a much greater variety. Besides the 

 ordinary call-note, it will bejioticed that when this 



