BIRDS. '■/I't 



CUAP. \'. 



OK THE SWALLOW, AND ITS AFFINITIES. 



An idea of ar.y one bird in tlie former chisses will give us 

 «ome tolerable conception of the rest. By knowing tbe linnet 



firelock on its shoulder, and a firelock in its cliiw, and discharged a smiill 

 cannon. The same bird also acted as if it had been wonnded ; it was 

 w heeled in a little barrow, to convey it (as it were) to the hospital, after 

 whieh it Hew away, before the company. The seventh turned a kind of 

 wind mill ; and the last bird stood in the mid.st of some fire-works, which 

 were discharged all round it, and this without exhibiting the least sign of 

 fear. 



The goldfinch, naturally active and laborious, is fond of occupation in its 

 prison, and if it has not some poppy.heads, hemp-stalks, and those of let- 

 tuce, to pick, for the purpose of keeping it in action, it will remove every- 

 thing that it finds. A single gold-finch, iu an aviary where canaries are 

 hatching, if he be without a female, is sufficient to make all the broods fail ; 

 he will fight with the males, disturb the females, destroy the nests, and 

 break the eggs. These birds, however, though so lively and petulant, live 

 in peace with each other, excepting a few quarrels about the perch aud 

 their food ; all of them try to get possession of the highest perch in the 

 aviary, for the purpose of sleeping, and the first who obtains it will not 

 suffer the others to approach. It is necessary to place all the perches at a 

 similar height, to isolate each from the other, and make every one only of 

 length sufficient for a single bird. 



The mules from the goldfinch and canary are more robust than the latter, 

 and live longer. Their song is also more brilliant ; but Buflou says, that 

 they imitate airs with difficulty. Others, on the contrary, pretend that they 

 <an very easily be taught by the bird-organ and flageolet. These mules 

 resemble the male in the form of the bill, and the colours of the head and 

 wings, and the female in the rest of the body. Some beautiful varieties 

 result from this alliance. M. Vieillot once caught a mule, which ho con- 

 ceives was the produce of a male greenfinch and female goldfinch, judging 

 from its size, colours, and song. This bird did not appear to be the result 

 of any forced union ; it always remained e.xtremely wild, and by no means 

 familiarised with the cage — a seeming conformation of the last remark. It 

 was brought, notwithstanding, to couple with a female canary ; but nothing 

 resulted from the union. Some, however, say that these females are not 

 unproductive, and that the second generation insensibly approaches the 

 characters of the male ; but this second generation must be marvellously 

 rare, for no authentic proof appears of its having ever been witnessed . 

 These mules, however, pair very readily with each other or with canaries i 

 but the eggs produced are not fecundated. The female mules construct 

 their nests much better than the canaries ; and are such excellent nurses 

 that they may be frequently substituted for the others, when the latter are 

 Rvck, ot are bad mothers. 



