126 Wild Birds and their Haunts 



Madame Piozzi gives an account of a tame pigeon, 

 which answered by gesticulation to every note of a harpsi- 

 chord. As often as she began to play the pigeon hurried 

 to the concert, with every indication of rapturous delight. 

 A false note produced in the bird evident tokens of dis- 

 pleasure, and if frequently repeated it lost all temper and 

 tore her hands. 



It is again related that a gentleman was staying at a 

 certain house in Cheshire, and the daughter of the host 

 was a fine performer on the same class of instrument. 

 He observed a pigeon which, whenever the young lady 

 played the song of " Speri si" in Handel's opera of 

 ' ' Admetus," would descend from an adjacent dove-cot to 

 the room window where she sat, and listen with every 

 indication of pleasure till the song was finished, when it 

 uniformly returned to the dove-cot. 



Who, after this, will aver that birds have not a keen 

 sense of hearing ? 



