98 THE GREEN BIRD. 



besides some yellow spots on the breast, and the whole belly is 

 rather white than yellow. 



Sportsmen and bird-catchers mention three kinds of green 

 birds, namely, the large, which is everywhere or a beautiful 

 yellow ; the middle sized, the under part of the hady of which 

 is light yellow; and the little, v/hich they say is rather gi-eenish 

 than yellow ; but all this variety depends upon the different 

 ages of the bird, as well as its strength, and more or less beau- 

 tiful tints of its plumage. What much more deserves to be 

 remarked is the mule, which is the offspring of a green bird, 

 and a female canary ; it has a strong body ; its colours are green 

 and grey, mixed with yellow, when the female canary is yellow ; 

 but it is always a bad singer. 



Habitation. — When wild, the green bird may be found over all Europe, 

 though not often far north. It may be seen during summer, in hedges, 

 and on the borders of woods, and always whrere there are several trees near 

 together; during winter it wanders into different provinces, in large and 

 numerous flocks ; but in March it begins to return from these journeys. 



In the house it may either be let range free, or be shut up in an aviary 

 with other birds, where it is always very peaceable as long as it has suf- 

 ficient food ; but when that fails, it perches itself on the general food-drawer, 

 and keeps it determinedly, pecking it with its beak so cleverly that no other 

 bird can approach : should one venture, it is soon obliged to go away or 

 lose its feathers ; otherwise this bird is as quiet and tame m the house as 

 it ia wild and active Avhen at liberty. 



Food. — In its wild state it seems to like all kinds of seed, even that of 

 the milk thistle, which all other birds dislike. 



In the house, when it ranges at will, the second universal paste so well 

 agrees with it that it becomes quite fat ; however, as a variety, rape and 

 hemp seed may be thrown to it ; if in a cage it must only be fed in summer 

 with rape seed, except a little hemp seed, which may be given after moult- 

 ing, to make it sing. Lettuce, chickweed and other green food, always agree 

 with it, and even the berries of the juniper tree. 



Breeding. — Its nest, which is almost always placed in a hedge, on a 

 large branch near the trunk of a tree, or on the top of an old willow-tree, 

 is firmly built Avith wool, moss, and lichen, and lined with very fine roots 

 and bristles. The female lays, twice a year, fuur or five pointed eggs, of a 

 silver hue, spotted with light violet or brown. The young are at first of 

 a greeuisli grey ; soaie yellow tints, liowever, may already be seen in the 

 male. When reared from the nest, it learns, though with diflBculty, to 

 imitate the different songs of house-birds ; and, as it almost always happens 

 with slow memories, having once learnt a thing it never forgets it. It also 

 eings through the whole year ; it should therefore be taught by a bird whose 

 Bong is agreeable, for instance, a chaffinch, and then one would have the 

 pleasure of liearing it without interruption through all the seasons. 



