NOTES ON THE HABITS OF SOME CAGED BIRDS. 225 



that, when later she thought I had ill-treated him (I only cut 

 his claws), she flew to his rescue, and would not have anything 

 to do with me for a whole week. 



All these hirds have slept their long sleep for many years, 

 and the loss of each was a pang. We have again tempted fate 

 as we now have a Canary, and we are again victims to the 

 fascination of the feathered folk. 



Canary C has had a chequered career. He was the plaything 

 of a boy in a small school, and I have heard it rumoured that on 

 occasions he has been taken out of his cage, wetted to prevent 

 him flying, chased, and even caps thrown at him. Our experi- 

 ence of him is this : We have had him for seven months, yet 

 the sight of a boy still discomposes him, and the appearance of 

 a silk hat on the head is objected to. At first he declined to 

 come out of his cage on any consideration, uttering a distressful 

 call, but we have overcome this. He is quite tame with us, but 

 fears the hand exceedingly; it is only with the greatest hesitation 

 that he will take a hemp-seed off the finger while in the cage, 

 and will not take it at all if out, but takes it quite readily from 

 between the lips in or out of the cage. He is a creature of 

 habit, expects his cage to be cleaned, and his bath provided at 

 a certain hour, and utters a distinct protesting call if this has 

 not been done. We can differentiate these calls ; in the evening 

 of these lengthening May days he is sleepy before it is dark, and 

 calls for his cover about 7 p.m., and early retires to rest. My 

 little daughter sometimes teases him, but he is not in the least 

 afraid of her, and ruffles his feathers and pecks her vigorously. 

 When she wants him to go into his cage, she makes him hop on 

 her arm, and then carries him to it, when he goes in in a docile 

 manner. 



Habits. — As far as our observations have gone, we have come 

 to the conclusion that birds are essentially logical and practical, 

 they never do anything without good reason ; they also, in many 

 of their actions, show a strange conservatism and deference to 

 precedent. 



Most birds have a favourite sleeping-place, and will try 

 perseveringly to get or keep possession of it. This is for several 

 reasons :— (1) They like to sleep as high as possible, the highest 

 place being probably the safest. (2) Or it may be a matter of 



