78 THE SPARROW KIND. 



hand, chirrupping as if at liberty. He fed them with a very fine clear 

 pafte, nnade of wine^ bifcuit, and fugar ; they thruft their tongues into 

 this pafte, till they were fatished, and then fluttered and chirruped about 

 the room j ever attentive to the voice of their mafter, when he called 

 them. In this manner they lived with him fix months, when he unfortu- 

 nately forgot to tie up their cage to the ceiling at night, to preferve them 

 from the rats, and he found they were devoured in the morning. 



Xhefe birds, on the continent of America, at Surinam, and at Jamaica, 

 continue the whole year j as the honey of flowers never fails them in 

 thofe warm latitudes : but in the Antilles, when the winter approaches, 

 they retire, and, fome fay, continue torpid. 



It is a doubt whether or not thefe birds fing : Labat aflferts, that they 

 have a moft pleafing melancholy melody in their voices, though fmall 

 and proportioned to their organs. Some may pofTefs agreeable voices, 

 though the reft may in general be filent. 



The Indians formerly made great ufe of this pretty bird's plumage, 

 in adorning their belts and head-drefs. The children take them in the 

 fields upon rings fmeared with bird-lime : they are inftantly killed and 

 gutted, and hung up to dry. 



Not very diftant in nature are thofe birds, which live only on the 

 fweets of the fugar-cane ; nor very diftant in plumage, fince the Creoles 

 often confound them. 



WATER- 



