260 CLASS AVES. 



winter, in numerous flocks, and frequent those places where 

 thistles and wild endive grow. During the severe cold, they 

 shelter themselves in thick bushes ; but they seldom recede 

 far from the places where their food is found. Sometimes 

 they mingle with other granivorous birds. Hempseed is the 

 grain given to familiarize them with the cage ; but it would 

 be better to mingle millet and rape-seed with it, and to vary 

 their aliment ; thus the maladies might be avoided which 

 attack them in captivity. This is a point not always properly 

 attended to, for cage birds of all descriptions. Variation of 

 food preserves them in good health, lengthens their days, and 

 approximates them more to their natural state. 



The maladies to which this bird is subject are the epilepsy, 

 in which it frequently falls when apparently most vigorous, 

 and singing with its full force ; the molten-grease, or inflam- 

 mation of the abdomen, and the moulting, which frequently 

 proves mortal. The epilepsy is said by some writers to pro- 

 ceed from a very small worm in the thigh, lodged between 

 the skin and flesh ; sometimes this worm goes away of itself, 

 and sometimes the bird draws it out with its bill, when it can 

 lay hold of it. It seems more probable that this disease is 

 attributable to the exclusive use of hempseed, for it also 

 attacks canaries and bulfinches, when they are limited to 

 this aliment. On the other hand, the goldfinch, when totally 

 deprived of this kind of grain, is seldom visited by this dis- 

 tressing malady. When the bird is attacked by it, it is so 

 violent and dangerous, as generally to prove mortal in less 

 than a quarter of an hour. After some very precipitate 

 movements, the bird falls, and lies extended in its cage with 

 its feet in the air. Without the promptest assistance it soon, 

 dies. The most certain remedy is instantly to take the bird, 

 and cut its nails with scissors, particularly the hinder one ; 

 some drops of blood will follow ; and then dip the feet 

 several times in white wine made lukewarm. If it is winter 



