Our Native Song Birds . 
137 
•fight over it most awfully. One Goldfinch is fun 
enough, but two, I assure you, are really inex- 
haustible in the tricks they manage; they are, I 
think, the cleverest birds of any. The Bullfinch 
is as affectionate, and the Canaries are much the 
most quiet, while they too are naughty enough in 
a more methodical way. 
When you can have birds loose in a room a 
.good deal, it is the very pleasantest plan possible 
to adopt. If you always put the food in the open 
cages you will find little difficulty in catching 
them when you like. For if they see you go to 
.the cage, they will think of hemp-seeds, and 
probably fly directly to see if you have left them 
any. Canary-seed, rape, a little hemp, and a great 
deal of green stuff, such as chickweed and water- 
cresses, should be the food of all these birds. Dan- 
delion and thistle-heads, plaintain or rats’ tails, 
groundsel and lettuce-leaves also are much ap- 
proved. And Beading cracknels are the very best 
biscuits for them. Then they can have some 
strawberries and cherries, and a piece of ripe 
apple, of which they are very fond. You should 
not give them sugar or sweet cakes and so on 
often. These English birds do not build much in 
cages. Canaries are the best when you want to 
have young broods. 
