Finches. 163 



been silent awhile during the time of moulting. They 

 are sometimes, like spoilt children, capricious about 

 exhibiting their accomplishments, and require a good 

 deal of coaxing before they will pipe. A friend once 

 brought her Bullfinch to display his talents to me ; 

 but no persuasions of hers would induce him to pipe 

 till she sent for her servant, who went up to the cage, 

 put his head from side to side, and said, "Come, Bully, 

 whistle," and the bird immediately began bowing and 

 prancing about, and went through his performances 

 without more ado. Good piping Bullfinches are very 

 costly birds ; three or four guineas, or even more, are 

 often paid for one. 



A Bullfinch seems thrown away in a bird-room or 

 aviary : he looks dull and inactive among the more 

 sprightly birds ; moreover he is apt to be quarrelsome 

 and to fight with birds of another kind, and his big 

 beak is capable of inflicting serious injuries. He is a 

 very affectionate mate, and both parents are very fond 

 of their nestlings, which remain with them much longer 

 than is the case with the generality of young birds. 

 In their wild state they are accused of committing sad 

 havoc amongst the fruit-trees, by picking off the early 

 buds ; and although some people assert that they only 

 do this in search of the maggots in the buds, I am 

 afraid this cannot be maintained, and that it must be 

 allowed that they are guilty of great depredations. 

 They eat also the seeds in the fir-cones, beech-masts, 



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