• CAGE BIRDS. 56& 
as soon as the bird has bathed. With regular care and proper food a 
mocking bird should remain in health and song many years. 
The Bullflnoh. 
The bullfinch is a great favorite among bird lovers; for while his 
natural song is hardly worth mentioning, his power of imitation is so 
great as to make hun a most interesting companion. He is about the 
size of a sparrow; his plumage is dark; the breast of. the female is grac'- 
brown; of the male, red; the beak, black and well rounded. 
In Gennany many bullfinches are trained by tailors, weavers, 
and other peasants of sedentary occupations, who are thus enabled tc 
give a great deal of time to the work. The training is begun when 
the bird is very young, and they are always fed and cared for by one 
person, the one who is to train them. The bird is put in rather a dark 
place, and the tune he is to learn is whistled to him over and over, a 
few bars at a time, always in the same key, no other tune being whistled 
in the bird’s hearing until he has mastered the one in hand. His 
lesson is given to him as early as possible, and on an empty stomacli* 
his food having been removed from his cage the day before. When 
/the lesson is over, the shutters are flung wide open,' his cup is piled 
with seed, and as a special reward he is given two or three hemp seeds. 
After a couple of hours his food is all removed, and he is not allowed to 
(have it again until after his next morning’s lesson. In this way he 
{looks forward to his lessons, and proves a good scholar. Those birds 
|to be sent to England are taught “God Save the Queen,” "Pretty Polly 
(Perkins,” and other English airs; while those intended for the American 
[markets learn “Yankee Doodle,” “Ilail Columbia,” and "Star Spangled 
lJ3anner.” 
The Cardinal Grosbeak, or Red Bird. 
This is one of the niogt attractive of our native birds, and is deserv- 
ing of more attention than has been bestowed upon him, as much on 
account of his brilliant plumage as for his melodious whistling. 
He is known by several aliases, among others the Virginia night- 
ingale from his habit of singing in the night, and the red bird, from 
(the color of his plumage. He is about seven inches in length.’ His 
plumage is of a rich Vermillion red over the entire body, with a darker 
shade of the same color over wings and tail; the face’ cheeks throat 
feet, and legs are black ; the bill, red. The head is surmounted with a 
tutt of biilhant red feathers, which the bird is capable of erecting at 
mm. A 
The female is a rich brown, with some red on breasc and wings; 
( a n< l, though not as striking in appearance as her husband, is equally 
>as beautiful, and is often as good a whistler. 
I he cardinal grosbeak is naturally a very active bird, and his c age 
should be a good-sized one, as large as for a mocking bird; otherwise he 
will damage his feathers. He should be hung up quite high so lhat 
he may not needlessly be disturbed. The floor of the cage should be 
