CAGE AKB SINGINO BIRDS. 
103 
silent, will utter a few harsh unconnected notes; and when 
the hird is too old to breed, she will sometimes continue this 
melancholy ghost of a song- throughout the year. This in- 
competency for singing is the chief distinction of the female 
from the male canary ; yet those much accustomed to see and 
i handle the birds, can at once determine the sex. We must 
inow conclude our remarks upon this most interesting species, 
i on which, of itself, a volume might be written. The night- 
ingale and the canary, among song birds, are what the rose 
and the lily are among flowers, both inexhaustible subjects. 
THE GLOSSY FINCH. 
This is a South American bird, being found chiefly in the 
woods of Cayenne and Carthagena; it is somewhat smaller 
than the common sparrow ; the general colour of the plumage 
is a rich glossy black, with a blue cast ; the feet and bill are 
flesh coloured. The feathers of the hen exhibit a consider- 
able admixture of yellowish brown and gray. This bird is 
a soft, pleasing songster, and exerts itself so much in sing- 
ing that the feathers of its neck stand out like a ruff* : it is 
"easily tamed, and may be fed upon all kinds of fruit and 
seeds, especially poppy, rape, and millet. 
THE PURPLE FINCH 
Generally comes to us from Carolina, where the species is 
abundant. It is about the size of the chaffinch, not a good 
songster, but a very beautiful bird, with plumes of a dark 
violet colour intermixed with brown ; the abdomen is 
white, and the tail somewhat forked. The female is entirely 
brown, with a speckled breast, resembling that of the thrush, 
j In their wild state, these birds feed much upon juniper berries, 
\ of which they should have an occasional treat when in confine- 
ment. Their chief food may be rape and canary seed 5 they 
are not at all delicate feeders, but will soon take to almost 
any kind of prison diet. 
THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 
This bird is tolerably abundant during the summer about 
New York ; it is about the size of our linnet, and has a 
prettily variegated dress of black, white, and yellow. In 
the female^ the markings are less lively and distinct, and the 
