280 CAGE FOR THE LINNET. 



in song. The form of the cage may be of any fanciful 

 pattern ; it need not be so large as the Lark's, and may be 

 fitted with an apparatus for drawing up tiny buckets of 

 water, a feat which the bird may be easily taught to per- 

 form, although most frequently this task is assigned to the 

 more staid and steady Bullfinch, which does not spill so 

 much as Master Goldie, but goes about it with a gravity 

 quite amusing, as if it were the one great business of life. 

 All the Finches require much the same size and kind of 

 cage. 



THE LINNET'S CAGE 



May be made the same as that of the Finches, not over 

 large, pretty and ornamental ; it may have a wire top as 

 well as front and sides, or may be circular, with wire all 

 round ; except the bird should be a very shy one, in which 

 case it is best to have only an open front, or else to have 

 curtains drawn round, leaving only a small part open. 

 Linnets have a very sweet natural strain, and they possess, 

 too, great imitative powers, so as to improve it by culture. 

 We scarcely think, however, that we should say with 

 Burns 



I wadna gie the Lintie's sang, 



Sae merry on the bonny lea, 

 For a' the notes that ever rang 



From a' the harps o' minstrelsie ; 



even when the bird has added to its own sweet notes those 

 of yet more accomplished feathered musicians. 



This bird will interbreed with the Canary, and the re- 

 sult is usually a very attractive and docile cage bird, and 

 a very delightful songster. The Brown, Grey, and Eose 

 Linnets are one and the same species, the latter being 

 young birds taken in the spring : with age the fiery tint 

 on the poll fades, and first brown and then grey succeeds 

 a symbolical picture this of human life. 



