APPENDIX. 653 



When the bird hath thus prematurally moulted, 

 he is in fong, whilfb the wild birds are out of fong, 

 and his note is louder and more piercing than that 

 of a wild one •, but it is not only in his note he 

 receives an alteration, the plumage is equally im- 

 proved. The black and yellow in the wings of the 

 goldfinch^ for example, become deeper and more vi- 

 vid, together with a mod beautiful glofs, which 

 is not to be feen in the wild bird. The bill, which 

 in the latter is iikewife black at the end, in the 

 flopped, bird becomes white and more taper, as do 

 its legs : in (hort, there is as much difference be- 

 tween a wild and a flopped bird y as there is between 

 a horfe which is kept in body cloaths, or at grafs. 



When the bird-catcher hath laid his nets, he dif- 

 pofes of his callbirds at proper intervals. It mud 

 be owned, that there is a mod malicious joy in 

 thefe call-birds to bring the wild ones into the fame 

 date of captivity •> which may Iikewife be obferved 

 with regard to the decoy ducks. 



Their fight and hearing infinitely excels that of 

 the bird catcher. The indant that the* wild birds 

 are perceived, notice is given by one to the red of 



catcher, that he purfues a cooler regimen mftoppi?zg his birds, 

 and that he therefore feldom lofes one: but we fufpeel that 

 there is not the fame certainty of making them moult. 



* It may be alfo obferved, that the moment they fee a hawk, 

 they communicate the alarm to each other by a plaintive notef 

 »or will they xmnjerk or call though the wild birds are near, 



thg 



