^ INTRODUCTION. 



when sitting upon the finger its favorite food must be held to 

 it upon the tip of the exteded tongue. Hunger soon teaches it 

 to peck. Such tame birds learn, also, speedily to sing upon the 

 finger. To accomplish this, nothing more is necessary than 

 to induce it by certain tones, motions, and fondling. But it 

 is still further requisite to observe in this process of taming, 

 that, to be effectual, it should be continued for a longer time 

 than is here laid down. May we not presume that the bird 

 will, in the course of a few weeks, do that freely which has 

 been taught, or rather forced upon it, in this short space of 

 time. 



FOOD OF TAME BIRDS. 



In selecting the food of birds in confinement, it is requisite 

 to do so, as far as is practicable, in accordance with the nature 

 of its food in a natural state. This, indeed, is frequently 

 difficult, if not wholly impossible. Great caution, therefore, 

 must be observed to accustom the birds we keep, or rather 

 their stomachs, by degrees, to the food we are compelled to 

 supply them, although it cannot be denied that there are 

 birds, also, which, as soon as they are placed in the aviary, eat 

 anything that is given to them. But others are more deli- 

 cate, and will not eat at all, partly from grief at the loss of 

 their liberty, and partly from not finding the food they have 

 been accustomed to. Great care must therefore, be taken of 

 these. If such as are known to be delicate — the majority of 

 singing birds — for instance, commence greedily eating as soon 

 as they are placed in the chamber, it is a bad sign ; for they 

 will certainly die, as it implies an unnatural indifference to the 

 loss of their liberty, which is almost always deducible from 

 sickliness. Those which creep into corners and seem for 

 some hours to pine, it is less necessary to be anxious 

 about; but they must not be disturbed until their ill-humor 

 subsides. 



Dr. Meyer, of Offenbach, Germany, remarks as follows upon 



