144 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



our cage-bird to their former haunts. The distance 

 of the place to which they removed is such, that we 

 can readily hear the song of the male, and our bird 

 is no less eager to answer and to endeavour to out- 

 sing him than at first ; while it is worthy of remark, 

 that the wild bird seems no longer interested in 

 such rivalry, and sings as if his only concern was 

 to please himself and his mate. 



Now we think it a very probable inference, from 

 this little narrative, that, had the wild male black- 

 cap by any accident been killed, the hen would have 

 readily paired with our bird or any other which had 

 made its appearance ; for it must have been the nat- 

 ural dread of her preferring our bird, that actuated 

 him in his various expressions of passion which we 

 have just recorded. This conclusion is corrobora- 

 ted by his subsequent behaviour as soon as he felt 

 secure in the affections of his mate by her com- 

 mencing the nest under his own auspices. 



About the same period of time we had an oppor- 

 tunity of observing the proceedings of some other 

 cage-birds of different species in their preparations 

 for breeding. It is well known to be a common 

 practice among bird-fanciers to pair hen canaries 

 with males of other species of the same genus, or 

 such as resemble them the nearest in size and hab- 

 its ; and as we possessed two such males in a gold- 

 finch and a siskin (Carduelis spinus, BRISSON), we put 

 them both into a large breeding-cage along with a 

 hen canary. It was not a little amusing to observe 

 the exertions of these two birds in trimming their 

 feathers, singing at the utmost pitch of their voices, 

 as if each were determined not to be outsung by his 

 rival ; and more than once, before any nest was be- 

 gun, we observed them bringing her food in their 

 bills by way of present. From the first, however, 

 she showed a marked dislike to the goldfinch, though 

 the finest beau of the two, being the brightest col- 

 oured bird even of this beautiful species we ever 



