100 



British Cage Birds. 



and cherries. In confinement it may be fed on hemp, rape, 

 canary, inga, and other kinds of seeds. It is also very partial 

 to garden peas. 



Bearing the Young. — Young birds intended to be reared 

 by hand may be taken, at ten or twelve days old, and fed 

 on soaked rape seed, mixed with moistened bread ; or they 

 will thrive on a mixture of pea and barley meal, in equal 

 proportions, made into a soft paste with boiling water, and 

 stirred well together ; to be given when cold. They should be 

 fed at first every hour, until they are about eighteen days old, 

 then every one and a half hours, until they can cater for 

 themselves. As soon as they can peck, a little crushed hemp 

 seed should be mixed with their food. When six weeks old, 

 give them a few haws and berries, and continue this treat- 

 ment until they have moulted, when the seeds already men- 

 tioned will suflSce. 



Distinguishing Marks of Cock and Hen.— The hen is 

 paler and duller in the various colours of her plumage than 

 the male bird, previously described. The head of the hen is 

 olive brown, the neck brownish grey, the back pale sparrow 

 brown, the wings brownish black, the breast and belly greyish 

 slaty brown. When a male and female are seen together, 

 the difference of the sexes is easily distinguishable. 



Song. — Hawfinches can hardly be said to have a song; 

 they utter a few soft notes only, as if recording a song to 

 themselves, not unlike the natural song of the Bullfinch, and 

 occasionally they break out with a few louder notes ; but it 

 would require a strong imagination to exalt it into a song. 

 They will, when taken young, and reared by hand, try to 

 imitate the songs of other birds in whose company they 

 are constantly kept, more especially those that whistle, 

 such as the Song Thrush and Blackbird, but they never 

 seem to attain proficiency. The hen as well as the cock 

 attempts to whistle under similar circumstances. 



Points to j3E Observed in Judging. — Hawfinches are 

 scarcely handsome enough to make show birds of, but, as 

 some of the judges at cage bird shows, when judging a 

 mixed class, go for something out of the ordinary everyday 

 show bird, they have a chance of obtaining honours. Select 

 those birds which are most brilliant and decided in colour, 

 smooth and compact in feather, with close-fitting wings, a 



