On Taming Birds. 13 



to see our last new pet, and will greatly delay or 

 prevent it from becoming tame. 



The first day or two in a new abode is of itself 

 quite enough to upset so small a head, and the 

 quieter it is in all ways, and the fewer faces it 

 sees, and voices it hears, the better it will get on. 

 These cautions sound almost too minute ; but people 

 are apt to be exuberant in their kindly intended 

 pettings of a new arrival. 



CHAPTER III. 



ON TAMING BIRDS. 



1. EVERY one seems to fancy that in taming birds 

 there is some peculiar art, some secret means by 

 which the object can be attained directly. 



Even if this were the case, I doubt if the secret 

 would be very greatly valued ; but it would aggravate 

 me dreadfully if anybody else could get my birds to 

 be at once on the same friendly footing as that on 

 which we live together. 



In point of fact, birds are very exclusive in the 

 choice of their special friends ; it takes a long time 

 of kind words and petting, to make the little creature 

 perfectly at its ease, and to attach it to one, which is 

 really taming. It is extremely easy, for instance, to get 



