THE PET GOLDFINCH. 191 



of the excited wren, into whose proper territories a rival has dared 

 to intrude ; these are each and all imitated by our little pet with 

 marvellous exactness of note, emphasis, and tone. The querulous 

 cheeping of a chicken that has met with some little accident, or 

 for the moment lost sight of its mother, he mimics to the life ; and 

 he will on such occasions stand on tip-toe, stretch his neck to the 

 utmost, or cling parrot-like to the topmost wire of his cage, in 

 order to catch a glimpse of the victim of his ridicule. When tired of 

 this, the commoner and coarser part of his art, he will burst suddenly 

 into song, which he will continue sometimes for an hour on end, 

 introducing voluntaries and variations without number, in which 

 you can readily distinguish longer or shorter strophes from the 

 songs of almost all the birds he has ever had a chance of hearing. 

 Any one, indeed, thoroughly familiar with bird-music could easily 

 name the principal songsters in the district immediately around us 

 solely from the singing of our talented little polyglot, so faultless 

 is his imitation of the songs as well as " conversational utterances," 

 so to speak, of all such birds as he is in the habit of hearing and 

 seeing from his cage at the frequently open window. You may be 

 sure that " Cowie " is an immense favourite with us all, and that his 

 weight in diamonds would hardly induce us to part with him. 



