Miscellaneous. 1 89 



knife upon a steel, are all more or less powerful incentives, and 

 calculated to awaken within them a spirit of emulation. 



It very rarely happens, however, that you can induce them to 

 sing in the presence of strangers ; that is, if you make an effort 

 to stimulate them to do so, which is very provoking at times, 

 more especially if you have been lauding your bird to a friend, 

 and he has called purposely to hear it. The best and most 

 appropriate time to hear a young bird sing is either at the early 

 dawn of day, or when the shadows of evening begin to close 

 around, just before the sun sinks in the far west and bids ua 

 " Good night ! " It must not be expected that a young bird of a 

 few weeks old will sing vociferously like a bird fully matured. 

 This they never do until they attain the age of from six to nine 

 months, and, in solitary instances, longer. Their first efforts 

 are not particularly symphonious, being a sort of prolonged 

 chirruping noise ; the hens as well as the cocks attempt to 

 sing, but herein lies the difference the male birds pour forth 

 their infantile lays with great energy and vehemence, and in 

 long continuous measure, filling their little throats until they 

 swell and work like the bellows of that unearthly, screeching 

 instrument, the bagpipes; whereas the hens only utter short, 

 sharp, and disjointed notes, and their throats never swell nor 

 work so vigorously as that of a male bird a practical eye and 

 ear can detect the difference in a moment. 



The difference in the sexes of birds is easily distinguished in 

 the spring of the year or during the early summer months, that 

 is if the birds are well and healthy ; it is ascertained by examin- 

 ing their vents; the vent of a male bird protrudes, whilst 

 that of a female is broader and flat. If you place a young bird, 

 say, eight or ten months old, that you believe to be a male, 

 beside a well-known hen, say, in the month of March or April, 

 you will not be long in discovering whether your suspicion is 

 correct or not by their movements. If it proves to be a male 

 bird, the hen will very probably turn upon him as viciously as a 

 tigress, unless she is of a loving disposition and pleased with 

 his appearance, when she will sidle up to him and fondle about 

 him in a bewitching manner, and a courtship will be begun at 

 once, unless it so happens that Master Dickey, not charmed 



