sold at low prices, and make charming pets for the bird 

 lover of not unlimited means and who is content to 

 enjoy but a partial fulfilment of the birds' earl}' promises. 



Yet all these birds receive the same care and 

 attention to complete their education, which is con- 

 ducted as follows. A score or so of learners, still in 

 their nest feathers and each in a cage, are hung around a 

 partly darkened room. Whenever the enterprising 

 peasant has a spare moment, he enters that room and 

 whistles with his lips the tune decided upon for that 

 year. By the time the moult is over, the best birds 

 have learned that tune, and are removed to another 

 part of the cottage, where the second subject of their 

 studies is introduced to them ; viz., the military bugle 

 call. Only a very few show aptitude enough to be 

 promoted to another removal for the purpose of being 

 taught a second air, when the first and the soldiers' 

 call have been acquired by them. 



Long ere this, the peasant has found out which 

 among his team show signs of "piping to command;" 

 he takes the cage of those most promising into his 

 hand at all hours of the day, whistles the air, and then 

 encourages the inmate to repeat it by coaxing him 

 with his voice, by imitating the sound of kissing, and 

 especially by gently rocking his head. A willing and 

 promising pet at once hops to the front of the cage, and, 

 pufiing out his plumage, sweetly gives a call or two, and 

 then says his lesson to the best of his knowledge. When 

 they pipe their tunes readily in response to the 

 manoeuvres just described, they are said to "pipe to 

 command." The sound of osculation is one of the first 

 things Bullfinches imitate to perfection. 



Of late years some improvements in teaching have 

 been introduced. Instead of moving the head to make 

 the birds pipe to command, the same motion is effected 

 with the hand and extended forefinger ; and instead of 

 whistling, small bird organs are made use of, the reed 

 pipes of which are flute-like in sound and are always 

 of the correct pitch. Bullfinches that pipe to command 



