THE BUNTING TKIBE WIllDAII BIRD. 167 



iKt&reely recognise his oivn music, and acknowledged that the scholar 

 excelled him." It must, however, be confessed that, if the Bulfinch 

 be ill-directed, it acquires harsh strains. A friend of M. de Buffon 

 saw one that had never heard any persons whistle but carters; and it 

 whistled like them, with the same strength and coarseness. The Bul- 

 finch also easily learns to articulate words and sentences; and utters 

 them with so tender an accent, that we might almost suppose it felt 

 their force. 



These birds are susceptible of personal attachment, which is often 

 srtrong and durable. Some have been known, after escaping from 

 eonfinement and living a whole year in the woods, to recognise the 

 voice of their mistress, and return to her. Others have died of 

 melancholy, on being removed from the first object of their attach 

 naent. They will also remember injuries received : a Bulfinch that 

 had been thrown to the ground in its cage by some of the rabble, 

 though it did not appear much affected at the time, fell into convul- 

 sions ever afterwards at the sight of any mean-looking person, and 

 expired in one of these fits, eight months after the accident. 



Bulfinches are not unoommon in England: they construct their 

 nests in bushes, about the middle of May. These are usually built in 

 orchards, woods, or parks, where the trees are numerous. The nest 

 of the Bulfinch is a fabric apparently constructed with little art ; but 

 it so nearly resembles the color of the surrounding foliage, as not 

 easily to be discovered. The female lays four or five eggs, of a bluish 

 color, marked at the larger end with dark brown and faintly reddish 

 spots. 



In the summer-time these birds chiefly frequent woods and retired 

 places; but in winter they approach gardens and orchards. Here 

 as soon as the vegetation commences, they make great havoc among 

 the budfl of the trees. 



THE BUNTING TRIBE. 



These birds have a conical bill, and the sides of each mandible 

 Lending inward. On the roof of the upper mandible is a hard knob, 

 used for the breaking of hard seeds. 



THE WHIDAH BIRD. 



In its summer plumage the neck of the Whidah Bird has, at the 

 back, a broad semi-collar, of orange yellow color. The breast is red- 

 dish, the under parts of the body and the thighs are white ; and the 

 neck, the back, the wings, and tail, are black. In the tail there are 

 four feathers much longer than the others : of these, two are about 

 thirteen inches in length, and are bent somewhat like those of a cock • 



