68 BRITISH BIRDS 



treat all his little advances with indifference or rather 

 coldness, for he quickly responds to any manifestation 

 of regard, though he does not seem to pine for what he 

 has never had. 



The nest of the Bullfinch is very often, but not always, 

 built in fruit trees, of roots, the coarser portions of which 

 form the foundation and the finer the lining of the struc- 

 ture. The eggs are usually five in number, of a pale 

 blue colour, thickly spotted with reddish-purple at the 

 larger end. The young are hatched in about fourteen days 

 and if wanted for training must be taken early, before they 

 have had time to hear much of the paternal song, say 

 when the quills of the tail begin to sprout; they should 

 be kept in their own nest as long as possible, fed as 

 already advised, and kept scrupulously clean and dry, or 

 their feet will be deformed. 



When they get restless, they may be transferred to a 

 cage, provided with several perches of different size, and 

 well strewn with grit, or dry garden mould. As soon as 

 they can feed themselves, they should have soaked 

 canary seed, boiled rape and a little coarsely-crushed hemp, 

 but too much of the last seed has a tendency to turn the 

 plumage black. Or the little birds can be left with the 

 parents until just ready to fly, when they may be put, 

 nest and all, in a cage that should be hung up near the 

 spot where they were hatched, and the old birds will finish 

 bringing them up ; but in this case they will not be such 

 apt pupils (though they may be stronger), as if they had 

 been artificially reared: in the latter case they should be 

 given a mouthful or two (using a small pair of forceps 

 for the purpose) every twelve minutes or so from dawn 

 to dusk. 



There are usually two broods in the season, sometimes 

 three, and there are nearly always more cocks in the first 

 nest than in the later ones, which often contain females 

 only; these, however, sometimes pipe very well, and are 

 quite as tame and affectionate as their brothers. 



Now and then a pair of tame Bullfinches will breed in 

 a bird-room or aviary, if supplied with something to build 

 in, in the shape of a branch of a tree, and a handful or 



