EECEEATIYE SCIENCE. 



303 



racter of the whole strain approaelies to that 

 of the swallow's subdued twittering on a 

 summer's morn, and at the close there occurs 

 a prolonged, note, which critics might call a 

 little cracked or reedy ; but, to my taste, it 

 is a defect on the right side. The clear, 

 bell-like tones of the nightingale and thrush 

 families, which ring and make their way 

 through the densest foliage, and the pene- 

 trating accents of the lark, which reach us 

 from heights in open space at which the 

 human voice could scarcely be audible below, 

 are not agreeable to, nor supportable by, 

 every ear nor every head in closed apart- 

 ments. In proof of which, those birds, when 

 in song, are mostly hung outside the owner's 

 house or cottage. 



When the siskin appears amongst us in 

 October, it does not obtrude itself on the 

 notice of the every-day traveller on the high- 

 way-road, but must be sought for in secluded 

 gardens and shrubberies, on the skirts of the 

 wood, and in the alder copse. Far from 

 towns, it is the forester's bird; he watches 

 its antics amongst the branches of the fir- 

 trees, and rejoices that his stacks of fire-wood 

 are well piled and sheltered from the rain ; 

 for winter is coming, and with the aid of his 

 store he will weather its storms as gaily as 

 the nimble siskin. The arrival of the siskin 

 fills the imagination with images of Scandi- 

 navian pine-forests, moss-grown rocks, water- 

 falls, and thickets of hazel and birch. 



It is a satisfaction to find one's prefer- 

 ences confirmed by a congenial opinion, and 

 therefore I cite, verbatim and spellatim, from 

 the " Bird-Pancier's {sic) Recreation," London, 

 without date, but printed for T. Ward, and 

 sold at his house at the Bird-cage on Stam- 

 ford Hill, Tottenham Road, a quite short 

 account of the aberdevine : — 



" This is a verry pretty niery Bird, and is 

 much the Colour and Bigness of a grey 

 Canary-Bird, they don't breed in these Parts, 

 nor can I give you any Account where they 

 breed, but I believe they come from the 



North, being commonly catch'd here in the 

 Winter ; they frequent here the Alder Trees 

 by the Eiver side, and are so to be catch'd 

 as we do Linnets or Goldfinches, they feed 

 upon the same Seed as the Chafilnches or 

 Linnets, but they love the white Seed ; they 

 are a mery Bird, and the Colour of a 

 Canary-Bird, only the Cock has a black Spot 

 upon his Head, and a little black under his 

 throat." 



They are a very pretty, merry bird, and 

 that is the main reason why I patronize them 

 in these pages, and love them at home. No 

 bird becomes reconciled to confinement more 

 cheerfully and contentedly, or in a shorter 

 time after being caught ; notwithstanding 

 that, in a wild state, it manifests no great 

 confidence in man by entering houses, as the 

 robin does. But siskins are philosophers. 

 When they find themselves prisoners, with 

 plenty to eat and drink, instead of moping 

 and pining, they say to themselves, "What 

 can't bo cured, must be endured," and make 

 themselves at once easy and comfortable in 

 their new house and with their new friends. 

 From that moment they become as teachable 

 as any little bird can be ; nay, even jealous 

 of any other little bird whom you may try to 

 teach in their presence. Of three hen sis- 

 kins, wild from the copse only last December, 

 I gave two away to two of my friends, retain- 

 the third myself. No. 1 has long since (this 

 is written February 15th) learnt to draw a 

 a little cart iip an inclined plane, by means 

 of a string. No. 2 insists on partaking of 

 all the family meals, and puts her head 

 through the wires of her cage, begging to be 

 let out, as soon as she sees the table-cloth 

 laid ; she will perch upon her owner's fore- 

 finger, and take a seed held between his lips. 

 No. 3, my own, has not received so elabo- 

 rate an education, for want of leisure on the 

 part of her instructor j but if I open her 

 cage-door and call her, she will come flying 

 to stand on my open hand, and enjoj' a treat 

 of hemp-seed, which she expects, and almost 



