194 BRITISH LAND BIRDS. 



A most touching instance of affection in the 

 bulfinch is that mentioned in Bishop Stanley's 

 volume as having been told by Sir W. Parsons, 

 who was himself a great musician, and who when 

 a young man possessed a piping bulfinch, which 

 he had taught to sing " God save the king." On 

 his once going abroad he gave his favourite in 

 charge to his sister, and when he returned she 

 told him the poor little bird had long been ill, 

 and was at that moment very much so. Full 

 of sorrow, Sir William w^ent into the room where 

 the cage was, and opening the door, put in his 

 hand and spoke to the bird. It knew his voice, 

 opened its eyes, shook its feathers, and staggering 

 on to his finger, piped " God save the king," and 

 fell dead. 



A similar anecdote, in which the bird seems to 

 have died of sudden joy, is related by Mr. Thomp- 

 son, who says, that a bulfinch kept by a lady had 

 become so extremely attached to her, that he pined 

 in her absence, and only seemed at rest when she 

 was within sight. The lady fell sick, and was 

 confined to her bed for a week with so severe an 

 illness that she was entirely disabled from think- 

 ing of her pet. At length, when she-was sufficiently 

 recovered to see him, she ordered his cage to be 

 brought and placed upon the bed beside her. The 

 bird knew her voice instantly, though it was weak 



