126 TREATISE ON 



unless disturbed, until he has examined it with the 

 eye of a curious inquirer. 



One morning, a roll of paper, more than two 

 feet long, being laid on the table, Robie instantly 

 saw it was a new object, flew to it, hopped round 

 and round it several times, and at last finding it 

 impossible to satisfy himself without a narrower in- 

 spection, he hopped in at the one end and out at 

 the other. 



We have heard many anecdotes of the redbreast, 

 but what we have mentioned will suffice to show 

 its manners in a state of domestication. This bird 

 may be taught various pretty tricks, and even to 

 articulate words. We know that a lady in Edin- 

 bm-gh possesses one who very distinctly pro- 

 nounces, " How do ye do?" and several other 

 words. Her method was, early in the morning, 

 before giving it any food, to repeat very often 

 what she wished it to learn. 



In a wild state, these birds are very pugnaci- 

 ous. Each cockseems to have certain bounds, which 

 he considers his own, and within which he will 

 allow no other bird of the same species to range. 

 The redbreast builds its nest in diiferent situations 

 according to circumstances : We found one at the 



