70 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



streaked with purple at the larger end, and they take 

 about fifteen days in hatching, the hen sitting very 

 closely, whilst the male pays her every attention. The 

 young are fed from the crop by the parent birds until 

 of sufficient age to shift for themselves, when the parents 

 commence building afresh. At this time the plumage 

 of the young is considerably different from the male parent 

 bird ; the breast being yellowish-brown, and the black upon 

 the head and the grey upon the back grejdsh-brown, until 

 the first moult. The sex ir not distinguishable until 

 moulting discloses red feathers upon the breast. 



There having been several instances of this bird turning 

 black : it has been said by most naturalists, from the 

 Rev. Gilbert White, of Selborne, down to the present 

 day, that this was the result of feeding upon hemp seed ; 

 but one in our possession, which was fed entirely upon 

 canary seed, by successive moults turned completely black. 

 Pied birds with beautiful pink breasts have several times 

 been taken, and one was once caught that was almost 

 entirely white, but it soon died.) X 



