30 

 THE bullfinch/ 



Loxia Pyrrhula. 



This bird is a native of Europe, where it is very 

 generally spread all over. 



Description. The male bird: top of the head, 

 wings, and tail are black ; the back, dark gray ; the 

 breast, blood-red ; the rump, white ; its length, six in- 

 ches. The female is easily distinguished from the male, 

 for what is red on him is gray on her. 



It has no natural song, but is gifted with the ability 



of imitating, with an astonishing accuracy, in a sweet 



and flute-like tone, almost any air that is whistled or 



.played to them on an instrument. This has made him 



a great favorite among bird-fanciers. 



In Germany, particularly in Hesse and Saxony, a 

 great number of these birds are taught, and by the 

 dealers brought to various parts of the world. The 

 raising and teaching is generally accomplished by shoe- 

 makers, tailors, and weavers, being so much confined to 

 their rooms at their work, and thus enabled to take 

 care of them — as at this time they require much atten- 

 tion. The manner is thus : they are taken from their 

 nest when very young — sometimes not more than a day 

 old, such is the anxiety to get them — brought home, 

 and fed with the yolk of hard-boiled eggs, soaked white 

 bread, and soaked rape-seed, which is prepared as we 

 have already described in the note at the foot of page 

 24. This food is made fresh twice a day, as it soon 



