THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 241 



never tire of the pastime, or, it may be, soon find that it is a plaguey 

 pastime, and quickly give it up. I can remember wben my hou.e 

 was full of cage birds, and birdd that lived out of cages, the trouble 

 entailed in feeding and cleaning was immense, but success attended 

 our labours, and the collection was the theme of universal praise. 

 But at a certain moment we had to leave home together for a con- 

 siderable length of time, and we made the best imaginable arrange- 

 ments for the care of our large feathered family, but the end of it was 

 a dreadful wreck, and we have not had the courage to begin again. 

 Strange to say, when, on returning home, my husband looked at the 

 empty cages, and began with a half- broken heart to do something 

 to save the few birds that were left, he had the misfortune to cause 

 the death of a bird that he valued more than all the rest. This was 

 a skylark, whose song he had modified to his own liking by piping to 

 it, and great was his joy to find this bird amongst the few that had 

 survived the neglect which had ruined the collection. The bird 

 looked dejected, so he got ready another cage for it, with a nice fresh 

 turf and sucli trifles of comfort as loving hands alone can find, 

 and he tenderly took the bird from the dirty cage it was in, to 

 transfer it to a nicer home. Whether he was too gentle or somewhat 

 unnerved by the dreadful spectacle of dead birds and empty cages, 

 it is impossible to say, but the tragedy was the same : the bird sprang 

 from his hand and went up like a rocket, struck the ceiling, and fell 

 at his feet as dead as a stone. If the skilled and experienced in 

 bird-keeping have such accidents, the beginner in the perilous busi- 

 ness must not expect to escape. Bat there is a right as well as a 

 wrong way to begin, and I am satisfied tliat no one should enter into 

 bird-keeping in a large way until they iiave a year or tvvo of ex- 

 perience in the management of a canary, for to manage one bird well 

 gives a key to the management of many. 



Hciving made this beginning, it will be well to make further 

 acquaintance with birds of the same family ; that is, the family of 

 the finches. It should be impressed on the mind of the beginner 

 that the finches are the easiest of all to keep, and the most lively 

 and sociable as cage birds. As a rule, all they want is dry food, and 

 vegetables that need no preparation ; but the soft-billed Dirds must 

 have pastes and compounds, and the result is a considerable amount 

 of mess and bother. And what finches would you recommend ? some 

 one will ask. The Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, and Siskin constitute 

 an extremely interesting collection — all seed-eaters, all singers, all 

 pretty, lively, healthy, companionable, teachable, and long lived. 

 The siskin is a darling bird, although not very musical. Its comical 

 movements and ridiculous song would drive a frown from any brow, 

 and almost cause a marble bust to smile. But there ends the list of the 

 most desirable finches. They thrive on canary seed, millet, and rape ; 

 they want regular supplies of vegetable food, such as lettuce, ground- 

 sel, chickvveed, shepherd's purse, or wild turnip. I have lately seen 

 in a captain's cabin, a sweet little canary that was purchased in 

 Japan, and has bi-en in the ship four years without being once re- 

 moved. And hovv does its loving owner find it in fresli vegetable • 

 food ? you will ask. Oh, in a simple pretty manner. He sows a 



Augn«t. ^® 



