$158 Tue Zootocist—Auvetst, 1872. 
kind of bird with whose habits and requirements he seems so 
familiar: that single question will often act as an extinguisher to 
the most liberal and communicative of viva voce advisers. But 
here I may state that even printed advice is not infallible, because 
it is often the result of too limited a number of observations. Take 
Mr. Keuleman’s ‘ Cage Birds,’ for instance, on the hawfinch, con- 
cerning which bird he writes with the pen of a master, as one who 
has a right to be heard, who sits in a Professor’s Chair, as one 
who may ask “ Have I not written it?” 
“ Hawfinches are often formidable companions in an aviary; 
the least annoyance makes it angry, and the smaller as well as the 
larger birds are treated with severe bites on the legs and neck. 
I possessed a very fine and large one, which was placed separately 
owing to its pugnacious inclinations. One day it succeeded in 
opening the door of its cage and flew about the room, perching on 
the cages of the remaining birds. In one corner of the room there 
was a large cage containing an American Baltimore-bird of similar 
irritable temper. I tried to capture the thick-beaked fugitive, as 
I had an impression that a severe fight was imminent if it settled 
on the cage, the more so as the Baltimore gave expression to notes 
of defiance, and made very suspicious movements. By driving the 
hawfinch from one spot to the other it settled on the cage, and 
coups de bec were at once exchanged. The most amusing part of 
the battle was that the hawfinch could not bring his large beak 
through the wires, and thus could not touch its rival, while, on the 
other hand, the Baltimore, with its long and slender bill, ad- 
ministered severe punishment upon the hawfinch’s legs. The 
combatants were so much engaged that they did not see me 
approach, and I was thus enabled to catch the latter in my hand.” 
—‘ Cage Birds, p. 65. 
I have possessed four hawfinches, each separately, and each in 
his turn died what is called a natural death—l believe by indulging 
too freely in hemp-seed; but it is of the character of the species 
I wish to speak; all my four hawfinches agreed in excessive 
timidity. Neither of the four at any time attacked any other 
inmate of the aviary, and the nearest approach to anything of the 
kind was one of them opening his huge beak, in an imbecile and 
helpless manner, when a hedgesparrow, alighting on the same seed- 
pan, began to feed close beside him: he of the great beak, like 
Bumble in Oliver Twist, was taken aback by the audacity of the 
