360 PAINTED BUNTING. 



success. When the employments of the people of the United 

 States become more sedentary, like those of Europe, the 

 innocent and agreeable amusement of keeping and rearing 

 birds in this manner will become more general than it is at 

 present, and their manners better known. And I cannot but 

 think, that an intercourse with these little innocent warblers 

 is favourable to delicacy of feeling, and sentiments of 

 humanity ; for I have observed the rudest and most savage 

 softened into benevolence while contemplating the interesting 

 manners of these inoffensive little creatures. 



Six of these birds, which I brought with me from New 

 Orleans by sea, soon became reconciled to the cage. In good 

 weather, the males sang with great sprightliness, though they 

 had been caught only a few days before my departure. They 

 were greedily fond of flies, which accompanied us in great 

 numbers during the whole voyage ; and many of the passengers 

 amused themselves with catching these, and giving them to 

 the Nonpareils ; till, at length, the birds became so well ac- 

 quainted with this amusement, that as soon as they perceived 

 any of the people attempting to catch flies, they assembled at 

 the front of the cage, stretching out their heads through the 

 wires with eager expectation, evidently much interested in the 

 issue of their efforts. 



These birds arrive in Louisiana, from the south, about the 

 middle of April, and begin to build early in May. In Savannah, 

 according to Mr Abbot, they arrive about the 20th of April. 

 Their nests are usually fixed in orange hedges, or on the lower 

 branches of the orange tree ; I have also found them in a 

 common bramble or blackberry bush. They are formed 

 exteriorly of dry grass, intermingled with the silk of cater- 

 pillars, lined with hair, and, lastly, with some extremely fine 

 roots of plants. The eggs are four or five, white, or rather 

 pearl coloured, marked with purplish brown specks. As some 

 of these nests had eggs so late as the 25th of June, I think it 

 probable that they sometimes raise two broods in the same 

 season. The young birds of both sexes, during the first season, 



