Birds. 



6601 



The Bullfinch (Loxia pyrrhula). This is another prize for the 

 trapper ; but besides those taken by the professionals great numbers 

 are annually destroyed by our gardeners and nurserymen ; some from 

 the notion that they are destructive, and others to make prisoners of 

 them. They may be destructive, but really I do not think them more 

 so than any of their kindred species which frequent similar places, 

 as the sparrow, greenfinch, chaffinch, yellowhammer, hedgesparrow, 

 willow wren, common wren, or the bold little robin redbreast. Now 

 it is a fact well known to ornithologists that although some of these 

 do not themselves actually live on insects, these form the chief 

 food for their young : this being the case, what an enormous and 

 countless number of noxious and, allow me to say, truly destructive 

 creatures must they thus consume and rid us of ■ but we poor short- 

 sighted mortals do not know this. Oh, no ! we do not see it in that 

 light ; we are all in the dark as regards the good they do us ; but let 

 them meddle with any of our seeds or fruits, and then the hue and cry 

 is " Get guns, and shoot every one of them." We do not see the incalcu- 

 lable good they do, but catch hold at once of the little mischief they 

 may occasionally do us. I hope a better day will soon arrive for these 

 lively little birds, when they will be cherished and encouraged, rather 

 than hated and destroyed. Surely intelligence and common sense will 

 triumph in this respect before long. The bullfinch, though much 

 admired as a cage bird, cannot be said to be much of a songster, it 

 being more for its beauty than its music that it is kept ; but it is 

 susceptible of improvement in that way, being easily taught to whistle 

 several tunes. My employer had a blackbird which whistled the 

 u Merry Masons 1 ' and " Over the Water to Charlie" first rate ; but to 

 return to the bullfinch. A gentleman belonging to this place, the late 

 J. J. Robinson, Esq., had one, which he bought from a shoemaker in 

 some part of Germany, that sung, or rather £< piped," as Mr. Robinson 

 said, seven different airs : I have both seen and heard it, and must 

 confess that it was a most able musician. 



In coming to a close with the finches, I may just mention, that in 

 rearing any of this tribe I invariably feed them on common oatmeal 

 mixed with a little water, bruised hemp and rape seed; this I knead 

 into a sort of paste, mixing it up twice a-day, to prevent it from be- 

 coming sour ; and on this I have ever found them thrive remarkably ; 

 but, as I have already stated, you must give them plenty of it, and not 

 allow the little creatures to hurt their tender throats in calling for 

 food, which injures them and weakens their powers of song. 



XVII. 



