336



A Tame Bullfinch.



“ Cherry,” and a loud whistle came in answer. He looked most

fascinating at Christmas-time on a mistletoe bough hanging in the

hall, where he sat among the berries singing his cheery little song.

One day an upstairs room door was left open when he was loose

and of course he flew in and on to the window sill. I entered by

another door, close to the window, and called him. By good luck it

was raining and a big drop splashed from the eaves on to the window

sill just in front of him. This frightened him away and back into

the room, whence he flew downstairs and into his own room.


Another day the door was left ajar, and he seized the oppor¬

tunity, flew out over the hall, along a passage and out at the garden

door. There he sat on a hawthorn and sang his little song in

triumph. There was a pair of Bullfinches in a large cage on the lawn,

so the only way to get him back was to leave him alone and pretend

not to care if he came back or not (for little birds, like children, are

apt to do exactly the opposite to what they think they are wanted to

do). I merely placed his waggon cage against the other bullies’ cage

with the door open, and hemp seeds in it with his other food. Then

I went about my usual morning avocations, gardening, bird-tending,

etc., and took no more notice of him. He flew into a white cluster

rose-bush and sat there feasting on invisible insects ; thence he flew

on to a yew-hedge, getting tit-bits, and lastly on to a juniper tree,

where he found delicacies in the old bark. Suddenly, there he was

on the bullies’ lawn-cage, swearing at the cock and bowing to the

hen. I called “ Cherry,” and off he was again on the rose-bush.

Birds, like animals, are for ever making precedents ; if they have

done anything once they do it again. So with Cherry. First the

rose-bush had to be scoured for insects, then the hedge, lastly the

juniper. Then again, there he was on the cage. He caught sight of

his own cage on the ground and hemp seeds in it. He peered in

sideways, whistled, and flew off again. The same round as before

had to be gone through, but he had discovered the hemp-seeds, and,

moreover, must now surely be needing a little grain after all those

insects. Again and again he came and peered into his cage, and then,

as the day wore on, all at once he swung round and in. Next day

the dog pushed open the door of the room he was at large in, where¬

upon, having tasted the sweets of liberty, he flew out and upstairs,



