Finches. 145 



leaving him without seed till he is hungry, pulling 

 the string attached to it and ringing, and then putting 

 some favourite food into the glass. He will soon dis- 

 cover that whenever the bell rings he gets this food, 

 and will seize the string and ring it whenever he is 

 hungry. The Bullfinch and Siskin will learn all these 

 accomplishments, but Canaries never understand the 

 art of holding the chain with the foot when they have 

 drawn it up ; at least, I have never succeeded in 

 teaching any of mine to overcome this difficulty. A 

 mule bird, of Canary and Goldfinch parents, was very 

 quickly taught it. Goldfinches will soon learn to come 

 out of their cages for any favourite food offered to 

 them, and to fly on the hand or shoulder to receive 

 hemp-seed, of which they are very fond. A gentleman 

 in Ireland had two pet Goldfinches which he allowed 

 to fly out of the window, which brought home several 

 wild birds of their kind day after day during a very 

 severe winter, to eat of the seed in their cage, and they 

 were fed regularly as long as the cold weather lasted ; 

 as many as twenty flying into the room, into the open 

 cages provided for them, undisturbed by any fear of 

 their hosts. 



The Goldfinch is a great friend to the farmer, for he 

 lives chiefly upon the seeds of weeds, groundsel, bur- 

 dock, and thistle, of which last he is so fond that he is 

 often called the " Thistle-finch." Lettuce and cabbage- 

 seeds he also approves of, and in confinement he should 



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