PAINTED BUNTING. 201 



I found these birds very commonly domesticated in the houses 

 of the French inhabitants of New Orleans; appearing to be the 

 most common cage bird they have. The negroes often bring 

 them to market from the neighbouring plantations, for sale; 

 either in cages, taken in traps, or in the nest. A wealthy French 

 planter, who lives on the banks of the Mississippi, a few miles 

 below Bayo Fourche, took me into his garden, which is spacious 

 and magnificent, to show me his aviary; where, among many 

 of our common birds, I observed several Nonpareils, two of 

 which had nests, and were then hatching. 



Were the same attention bestowed on these birds as on the 

 Canary, I have no doubt but they would breed with equal facility, 

 and become equally numerous and familiar, while the richness 

 of their plumage might compensate for their inferiority of song. 

 Many of them have been transported to Europe; and I think I 

 have somewhere read that in Holland attempts have been made 

 to breed them and with success. When the employments of the 

 people of the United States become more Sedentary, like those 

 of Europe, the innocent and agreeable amusement of keeping 

 and rearing birds in this manner, will become more general 

 than it is at present, and their manners better known. And I 

 cannot but think, that an intercourse with these little innocent 

 warblers is favourable to delicacy of feeling, and sentiments of 

 humanity; for I have observed the rudest and most savage soft- 

 ened into benevolence while contemplating the interesting man- 

 ners of these inoffensive little creatures. 



Six of these birds, which I brought with me from New Orleans 

 by sea, soon became reconciled to the cage. In good weather 

 the males sung with great sprightliness, though they had been 

 caught only a few days before my departure. They were 

 greedily fond of flies, which accompanied us in great numbers 

 during the whole voyage; and many of the passengers amused 

 themselves with catching these and giving them to the Nonpa- 

 reils; till at length the birds became so well acquainted with 

 this amusement, that as soon as they perceived any of the peo- 

 ple attempting to catch flies, they assembled at the front of the 



VOL. n. c c 



