156 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



In its native islands, a region equally noted 

 for the beauty of its landscapes and the har- 

 mony of its groves, the canary bird is of a 

 dusky gray colour, and so different from those 



The Bullfinch is another of our finest cage-birds. His 

 beautiful velvet black head and chin, his deep vermillion 



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neck and breast, and his dark gray back and shoulders, 

 conjoined with the strength of his make, and full rounded 

 appearance, render the bullfinch a favourite with all bird- 

 fanciers. It is besides a bird of a peculiarly strong affec- 

 tion, and can hardly endure life when absent from its 

 mate. Unfortunately, they do not breed well in confine- 

 ment. In the wild state, the female, twice a-year, lays 

 from three to six eggs, of a bluish-white colour, and spotted 

 with violet and brown at the large end. In feeding bull- 

 finches, it has been found that they thrive particularly 

 well when the rapeseed is given to them soaked in water. 

 This bird, which can be trained to a high degree of per- 

 fection in singing, is fortunately one of the most easy to 

 be procured. A decoy, or any of the common modes of 

 snaring, effects his capture at once, when his haunt is 

 discovered. Regarding his vocal powers, Bechstein 

 remarks: " Although the song of the male and female 

 bullfinch, in their wild state, is very harsh and disagree- 

 able, yet, if well taught while young, as they are in 

 Hesse and Fulda, where there are schools of these little 

 musicians, for all Germany, Holland, and England, they 

 learn to whistle all kinds of airs and melodies with so 

 soft and flute-like tone, that they are great favourites 

 with amateurs, and particularly with the ladies. There 

 are some of these little birds which can whistle distinctly 

 three different airs, without spoiling or confusing them in 

 the least. Added to this attraction, the bullfinch becomes 

 exceedingly tame, sings whenever it is told to do so, and 

 is susceptible of a most tender and lasting attachment, 

 which it shows by its endearing actions; it balances its 

 body, moves its tail from right to left, and spreads it 

 like a fan. It will even repeat words, with an accent 

 and tone which indicates sensibility, if one could believe 

 that it understood them ; but its memory must not be 

 overloaded. A single air, with a prelude or a short 

 flourish to begin with, is as much as the bird can learn 

 and remember, and this it will execute to the greatest 

 perfection. These little prodigies would be more inter- 

 esting and agreeable, if their Hessian instructors possessed 

 a little musical taste, but these are generally trades- 

 people, employed about the house with their different 

 occupations and trades ; and hymns, airs, minuets of a 

 hundred years old, and public-house songs, in general 

 compose the whole of their music. This, however, is 

 not the little bird's fault. The bullfinch can also imi- 

 tate the songs of other birds: but in general it is not 

 permitted to do so, that it may only learn to repeat the 

 airs which are taught it. Different degrees of capacity 

 are shown here, as well as in other animals. One young 

 bullfinch learns with ease and quickness, another with 

 difficulty and slowly ; the former will repeat, without 

 hesitation, several parts of a song ; the latter will be 

 hardly able to whistle one, after nine months nninter-. 



usually seen in Europe, that some have even 

 doubted whether it be of the same species. 

 With us, they have that variety of colouring 

 usual in all domestic fowls ; some white, some 



rupted teaching. But it has been remarked that those 

 birds which learn with most difficulty, remember the 

 songs which have once been well learnt, better and longer, 

 and rarely forget them, even when moulting. Tame bull- 

 finches have been known (says Buflbn) to escape from the 

 aviary, and live at liberty in the woods for a whole year, 

 and then to recollect the voice of the person who had 

 reared them, return to her, never more to leave her. 

 Others have been known, which, when forced to leave 

 their first master, have died of grief. These birds remem- 

 ber very well, and often too well, any one who has injured 

 them. One of them having been thrown down, with its 

 cage, by some of the lowest order of people, did not seem 

 at first much disturbed by it, but afterwards it would fall 

 into convulsions as soon as it saw any shabbily dressed 

 person, and it died in one of these fits eight months after 

 the first accident. A bullfinch, belonging to a lady 

 being subject to very frightful dreams, which made it fall 

 from its perch, and beat itself in the cage, no sooner heard 

 the affectionate voice of its mistress, than notwithstand- 

 ing the darkness of the night, it became immediately 

 tranquil, and re-ascended its perch, to sleep again. It 

 was very fond of chickweed, and as soon as it perceived 

 one bringing it to him, however much care was taken to 

 prevent its finding it easily, it would show its joy by its 

 actions and cries." 



The Chaffinch is one of the sprightliest warblers of 

 spring. It is black in the forehead, grayish-blue on the 



top of the head and nape of the neck ; the back is cf a 

 linnet-green, and the whole under part of the body of 

 reddish chestnut brown ; the quill feathers are black, 

 edged with white on the outer side, while the tail is 

 almost pure black. Such is the chaffinch ; that is to 

 say, the male bird; for the male being always preferred 

 for singing qualities, it is that sex which we have preferred 

 throughout to describe. The nest of the chaffinch is a 

 model of ingenuity. The female deposits in it, twice a- 

 year, from three to five eggs, of a pale bluish-gray, spotted 

 and streaked with brown. Young chaffinches are ex- 

 ceedingly quick in the ear; and if it is intended to train 

 them to artificial song, they must be removed from the 

 nest as soon as the tail-feathers begin to appear. As to 

 their food, they should be treated much in the same way 

 as the birds already noticed, with the addition of insects 

 to their diet, in accordance with their diet in the wild 

 state. Rapeseed soaked in water, and the crumbs of 

 white bread, will be the proper food for young birds 

 taken early from the nest for the purpose of training. 

 In Germany, the song of the chaffinch is admired almost 

 to idolatry, and, in truth, its clear and trilling tones ap- 

 proach much more closely to articulate sounds than the 

 notes of any other bird. The Germans have distin- 

 guished the most admired variations of the chaffinch's 

 strains by 'different name?, expressive of a fanciful mean 



