THE BULLFINCH 



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Spending a winter in the country, I had a 

 bullfinch to keep me company in my retire- 

 ment It had been caught in its nest towards 

 '^r-'^^C^^ the end of the preceding spring and had 

 WS*''"" ^^^ ^'"^^^ enough to get accustomed to its 

 bondage. Neither its development nor its 

 good humour were any the worse for the 

 domestic life it was obliged to lead. It 

 was of the size of an ordinary sparrow . Its thick, hard, 

 black bill was slightly bent, its nut-coloured eyes had a 

 lovely expression, and the colours of its plumage were as 

 bright as ever. The top of its head, the outlines of its bill 

 and the beginning of its neck were of a fme black lustre, 



