158 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



next to the nightingale, the most celebrated 

 songster ; and as it is more easily reared than 

 any of the soft-billed birds, and continues its 

 song throughout the year, it is rather the most 



forehead and eyebrows, which colour also prevails on the 

 top of the head, instead of black. On some the red is 

 shaded with yellow, and the black appears through these 

 colours. A goldfinch, with the head striped with red 

 and yellow, has been found in America. One with the 

 cap altogether black has but a few red spots on the fore- 

 head ; the back and chest are of a yellowish brown ; the 

 iris yellowish, and the bill and feet flesh-colour. The 

 whitish goldfinch has the tail and wings of an ashen 

 brown, the upper and under parts of the body whitish, 

 and the yellow of the wings pale. Some varieties are 

 totally white, and others, among which are the hand- 

 somest races, have the head red and the wings bordered 

 with yellow. On the bodies of many the tints are more 

 or less mingled with white. Among the black gold- 

 finches some are entirely black; others more or less 

 varied with this colour. These last varieties are chiefly 

 attributable to food, especially to the exclusive use of 

 hempseed. 



The Linnet. Several naturalists have made two 

 species of the linnet, properly so called, under the de- 

 nominations of gray and red ; others have no doubt of 

 the identity of the red and gray linnet ; and this opinion 

 is confirmed by repeatedly multiplied and indefatigable 

 observation. Both kinds, young and old male and 



female, are gray in the back season, and resemble each 

 other so much, that the sexes cannot be distinguished, 

 except by the white border on the primary alar quills, 

 which is more broad and brilliant in the male than in 

 the female. The red colour, which characterizes the 

 male during summer, commences to appear towards the 

 end of autumn ; but at this time it is tarnished, and 

 occupies only the middle portion of the feathers, the 

 extremity of which is of a reddish gray, so that it can 

 only be perceived by raising them up. In proportion as 

 the spring approaches, this colour extends and grows 

 brighter, and towards the month of May becomes very 

 brilliant in the male of two years old ; less pure and less 

 extended in the bird of the first year ; and among the 

 old ones it sometimes assumes an orange shade. Of 

 course, the linnets which remain gray must be only 

 females ; and it does not appear that any well-authenti- 

 cated instance of a male of this hue at such periods has 

 been found. There is a great analogy between the 

 linnet and the canary. Their habits and nature are 

 extremely similar, and of all birds the linnet is that 

 which most readily couples with the canary. Although 

 the linnet is one of the commonest of our small granivo- 

 rous birds, and though it preserves no brilliant colours 

 in captivity to render its possession desirable, it is not 

 loss in request than the brilliant goldfinch and charming 

 bullfinch. Its natural disposition is docile, and suscep- 



common in our houses. Rules, therefore, have 

 been laid down, and copious instructions given, 

 for breeding these birds in a domestic state ; 

 which, as a part of them may conduce towards 



tible of attachment ; its song is agreeable, and the flexi- 

 bility of its throat enables it to imitate with facility the 

 different airs which it is attempted to be taught. It 

 can even be taught to repeat many words distinctly, in 

 different languages, and it pronounces them with an 

 accent that would actually lead one to suppose that it 

 understood their meaning. The tender attachment of 

 which these birds are susceptible is astonishing; so 

 much so, that they often become troublesome in their 

 caresses. They can perfectly well distinguish the per- 

 sons who take care of them. They will come and 

 perch upon them, overwhelm them with caresses, and 

 even seem to express their affection by their looks. 

 They can also imitate and unite to the varied modula- 

 tions of their own voice, the strains of other birds, which 

 they are in the habit of hearing. If a very young linnet 

 be brought up with a chaffinch, a lark, or a nightingale, 

 it will learn to sing like them. But it will in most 

 cases totally lose its native song, and preserve nothing 

 hut its little cry of appeal. The linnets intended to he 

 instructed in foreign strains, should be taken from the 

 nest when the feathers begin to shoot. If taken adult, 

 they will seldom profit by their lessons, though they will 

 become both familiar and caressing. Different modes 

 of instruction have been pointed out for them such as 

 whistling to them in the evening by candle light, taking 

 care to articulate the notes distinctly. Sometimes, to 

 put them in train, they are taken on the finger, a mirror 

 is presented to them in which they think that they sea 

 another bird of their own species, which illusion is said 

 to produce a sort of emulation, making them sing with 

 more animation, and expediting their progress ; but 

 these precautions are not absolutely necessary, for the 

 best instructed linnets are often brought up by cobblers, 

 who whistle to them without interrupting their work. 

 It has been remarked of the linnets, and it is true oi 

 many other singing birds, that they sing more in a small 

 cage than a large one. This bird lives a long time in 

 captivity, if well taken care of. Sonnini quotes an 

 instance of one that lived forty years, and might have 

 lived longer had it not perished by accident. This was 

 a bird of the most extraordinary amiableness and docility. 

 It was in the habit of calling many persons of the house 

 by their name, and very distinctly. It whistled five 

 airs perfectly, from the bird-organ. The linnets have 

 the advantage of singing all the year round, and they 

 may be taught a variety of tricks, like the siskin, and 

 the goldfinch. The nest of the linnet is generally built 

 in furze, or some other low bush, and is formed of moss 

 and stalks of grass interwoven with wool, and lined with 

 hair and feathers. In winter linnets assemble in large 

 flocks, and descend to the sea-coasts, where they con- 

 tinue to reside, till spring again urges them to pair and 

 seek their upland haunts. They feed upon the seeds of 

 flax, thistle, dandelion, &c. 



The Siskins are birds of passage, and fly so high that 

 they may be heard before they are seen. They are very 

 numerous in the southern provinces of Russia, and com- 

 mon enough in this country during the winter; they 

 are fond of places where the alder-tree abounds. They 

 arrive in France about the time of the vintage, then 

 proceed farther south, and re-appear when the trees are 

 in flower; but in summer they are not seen. In all 

 probability they then voyage northwards, or return into 

 thick forests on the lofty mountains. The siskins, in 

 their habits, have very considerable relations with the 

 linnet: they give a preference to the seeds of the alder- 

 tree; they often dispute with the goldfinches for the seed 

 of the thistle. Hempseed is for them an aliment of 



