150 THE GOLDFINCH. 



round, and a bunch of thistle heads fastened by the side, the seeds of which 

 should be mixed with the hemp seed. Presently one or more goldfinches, 

 attracted by the call of the prisoner, collect, to take advantage of the 

 scattered food ; as soon as you have succeeded so far it is useless to let the 

 decoy remain any longer exposed to the cold, which may injure it. It will 

 be quite sufficient to place the cage within the window, and to put on the 

 outside a cage as a trap, not for the sake of catching these birds, but to scare 

 away the sparrows, that would soon eat up all the seed unless thus pre- 

 vented ; and in order that the trap may only close when you wish, the 

 door should be supported by a string, passing into the room, and loosened, 

 to catch the sparrows, but the goldfinches should be allowed to go in and 

 out at pleasure, till the snow is on the point of disappearing, then close the 

 trap on those you wish to keep : the birds thus captured should be placed 

 in a cage, where they will soon grow tame, and learn to go and return to 

 it. Whatever form this cage is of, the door should be hung so as to remain 

 open as long as is required, and be closed without noise^ or alarming the 

 bird, either by means of a spring, that maybe acted on by the bird, without 

 his perceiving it, or by his pushing the door of it open on the inside. When 

 a goldfinch has been thus trained it may be let fly without fear the following 

 August, at the time of moulting. It is true that it will be lost for eome 

 time, but it will not fail to return in December, when the ground is covered 

 with snow, and it will sing much more sweetly than it would had it been 

 kept prisoner. As soon as it has flown, a cage should constantly be hung 

 outside the window, and seeds placed in it, that, if it should chance to 

 return, it may find food ; but it is rarely seen again till winter : at that 

 time the cage should be so arranged that the door may be closed as soon as 

 the bird enters, as it used to do in the room ; the surest way is to attract 

 it by a call bird. It must not be allowed to come out so often as before, 

 and it will remain, without injury, shut up till the season arrives for giving 

 it its liberty again. The same course maybe pursued for the tit, and with 

 still more success for the chaffinch, which does not enter the snares of the 

 bird-catcher as easily as the others. If it is feared that it may be caught 

 in a neighbouring area or barn-floor trap, it may be frightened from this 

 snare in future, by stretching a net once, in the orchard or garden near. 

 The greenfinch is the best for this manoeuvre, as it is extremely fond of 

 hemp seed, is more rarely taken, and returns less wild than the chaffinch. 

 The birds that enjoy their liberty in the summer sing more finely than 

 without this advantage, and, what is almost incredible, though taken to a 

 distance of several leagues, they have always found their master's house 

 again *. 



* After having shown the skill and docility of the goldfinch, we cannot end our 



praise of the bird better than by giving an instance of his attachment. Mad 



had one that never saw her go out without making eyery effort in his power to quit 

 his cage and follow her, and welcomed her return with every mark of extreme 

 delight ; as soon as she approached, a thousand little actions showed his pleasure and 

 satisfaction : if she presented her finger, he caressed it a long time, uttering a low 

 joyous murmur. This attachment was so exclusive that if his mistress, to prove it, 

 substituted another person's finger for her own, he would peck it sharply, whilst one 

 of his mistress's, placed between two of this person's, would be immediately distin- 

 guished, and caressed accordingly TRANSLATOR. 



