136 THE MOUNTAIN FINCH. 



chaffinch that takes only a week or fortnight to repeat this lesson for fully 

 bringing out its voice, is reckoned among the geniuses of its species. It is 

 known that other birds whose power of singing is confined to a particular 

 season, also warble feebly, and mingle with their warbling some foreign 

 notes, especially harsh and confused sounds ; but none produce sounds so 

 peculiar, and that have so little relation to their own song. If we pay a 

 little attention, however, we shall find that this exercise is intended less to 

 awaken the memory than to render the throat, stiffened by a tolerably 

 long state of inaction, more pliant, and to bring back its natural flex, 

 ibility. 



Wild chaffinches, on their return in spring, do not delay to record ; those 

 in the house soon learn, but they are obliged to exercise themselves for 

 nearly two months before they can execute their song to perfection. The 

 singing season does not generally extend beyond June, but young chaffinches 

 brought up in a room prolong it to October, and sometimes later. 



Some amateurs of the song, rather than friends of the bird, to procure 

 the pleasure of hearing it night and day in all its strength, employ a very 

 cruel and inhuman contrivance. They first place the cage in a very obscure 

 place, and accustom the poor little creature to find its food in the dark ; 

 they then blind it, either by destroying the pupils of the eyes with a red 

 hot iron wire, or by passing it over the edges of the eyelids, unite and 

 paste them completely together. 



Others shut up these poor mutilated creatures in a cool place, almost 

 without air, during the summer, in order that when in autumn they are 

 brought to the window, and breathe the fresh air, they may express their 

 joy by their lively and repeated song. What can we think of the heart 

 and morals of people who for a slight amusement thus enjoy the sufferings 

 of a sensitive being that is unfortunately in their power? 



THE MOUNTAIN FINCH. 



Fringilla montifringilla, LINNUS ; Le Pinson d'Ardenne, BUFFON ; Der Bergfir.k, 

 BECHSTEIN. 



THIS bird is six inches and a quarter in length, of which the 

 tail measures two and a half and the beak half an inch ; this is 

 vellow, with a black tip. The feet, nine lines high, are dark 

 flesh-coloured; all the feathers of the head and cheeks are 

 black with reddish edges, wider and more distinct in young 

 males, and becoming fainter from age, almost disappear in old 

 ones, whose heads become quite black ; the tail rather forked, 

 and black. 



The colours of the female are more uniform ; she is brown 

 where the male is black, and only a rusty colour where he 

 is red. 



