106 cassell's book of birds. 



in consequence of too much excitement. A lady friend of ours had a Bullfinch so tame that she 

 allowed it to fly about the room, and was in the habit of lavishing caresses upon it. One 

 afternoon, being somewhat busy, her little companion did not receive the customary attention, for 

 which he clamoured so loudly that his mistress at length hastily caught him, replaced him in the cage, 

 and covered it with a cloth; the poor little creature was no sooner treated in this manner than he 

 uttered a few plaintive notes, as though imploring for notice and freedom, and then, hanging his 

 head, fell dead from his perch upon the floor of the cage. An exactly opposite case was related by a 

 gentleman of our acquaintance. The narrator took a journey, and, during his absence, his Bullfinch 

 appeared very mournfully silent ; on the master's return, however, the bird was overwhelmed with 

 delight, flapped its wings, and fluttered up and down, bowed its tiny head repeatedly, as it had 

 been taught to do, at the same time pouring forth a song of welcome ; suddenly all was silent — the 

 little favourite lay at the bottom of its cage dead w^ith joy. If trained while young, the Bullfinch may 

 be allowed to fly in and out at will, and Leury gives us an interesting example of this fact. During 

 the spring he let a female Bullfinch, that he had had for a year under his care, out into his garden, 

 and for many days afterwards the bird would fly about, returning occasionally to the house, but at last 

 disappeared entirely until the following autumn ; when lo ! one morning she flew into the sitting-room, 

 as tame as ever. The following year she was again set at liberty, and returned in the month of June 

 with four of her young ones, apparently as confiding as before, and most desirous to persuade the little 

 brood to consider her late master as a friend ; but these endeavours proving fruitless, she again left, 

 and in September once more made her appearance with three of her second family. She remained for 

 a short time, and then departed ; but positively came back late in the autumn without her little flock 

 to pass the winter in her old home. The following spring she was set at liberty for a third time, 

 and was observed not long after to enter her cage, peck up some of the food it contained, whilst 

 her mate lingered upon a neighbouring tree, and then flew away and was seen no more. 



These various little anecdotes will, we think, justify our assertion that the Bullfinch is well 

 worthy of our regard and attention. As to the care it requires, give it a nicely-kept, roomy cage, 

 water to bathe in, and a little rapeseed, and all its wants are satisfied. A small quantity of green- 

 stuff may also be added, and on this fare a little couple of Bullfinches may even be persuaded to 

 undertake the cares of a family. 



The capture of this species is attended with no difficulty, as its social habits render it an easy prey. 

 Naumann tells us that any one who can tolerably imitate its call-note may entice it to the spot upon 

 which a snare is awaiting it ; indeed, a live decoy-bird is scarcely needed, as a stuffed specimen 

 placed near the traps or limed twigs will answer every purpose, attracting the unsuspecting creatures 

 in great numbers. In our opinion, to shoot a Bullfinch would be a crime ; although it is true that it 

 occasionally becomes somewhat troublesome by picking off the buds from the trees, yet, in spite of 

 this, we hope that our readers will allow that its many pleasing qualities make ample amends for any 

 of its troublesome propensities. Besides, in pleading for mercy, we must not forget that its enemies 

 are already sufficiently numerous ; martens and weasels, squirrels and dormice, hawks, sparrow-hawks, 

 and falcons, crows and jackdaws, destroy both old and young, and materially limit their increase ; 

 many likewise perish during severe winters. 



THE GTRLITZ. 

 The Girlitz (Serimis hortulanus) may be regarded as the type of a peculiar group of the Bull- 

 finch family, allied on the one hand to the South African or Carmine Bullfinch, and on the other to 

 the Canary, with which we are all familiar. The beak of the Girlitz is very short and small, less 

 spherically vaulted than that of the Bullfinch, and moreover blunt, instead of being sharp-pointed at 



