Introduction. 



treat them as servants and slaves, rather than as loving 

 friends and companions. My indignation is excited 

 by the sight of birds left for hours exposed to the 

 burning sunshine or the chilling east wind, with their 

 cages uncleaned, their water-glasses half full of dirty 

 water, their seed-boxes choked with husks! I have 

 heard more than once of birds being starved by the 

 ignorance of servants, who declared that they had 

 plenty of seed, when the boxes were full of husks and 

 every particle of grain had been consumed ; and of a 

 cage full of canaries, discovered but just in time to 

 save their lives, without seed or water. Birds should 

 never be consigned to the care of forgetful children, 

 or of servants too busy to attend to them. Some re- 

 quire far more looking after than others, but all can be 

 made to suffer greatly from neglect and want of clean- 

 liness. 



Much cruelty, too, is unwittingly exercised every day 

 by those who would shrink from the idea of causing 

 suffering to any living creature, from sheer ignorance 

 of bird nature. They would gladly make their birds 

 happy if only they knew how to do so ; they grieve to 

 see them moping, observe their ruffled feathers with 

 dismay, and mourn over their failing health and un- 

 timely death with entire sincerity. But they have not 

 made themselves acquainted with the habits and neces- 

 sities of their pets ; they have not inquired whether 

 they are hard -billed or soft -billed birds; whether, 



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