December o, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
531 
not hundreds, on birdlime, but this injures their plumage and is 
somewhat troublesome, especially to anyone not accustomed to 
handle it. I have also caught them in a bat fowling net at night 
out of thick hedges. I find a trap cage or cages "best, for bull¬ 
finches generally go in small parties, and I have taken two out 
at once from two separate cages, while others waited round and 
were caught afterwards. 
The well-known and easily imitated call of the bullfinch at 
this season of this year appears to have a greater attraction—for 
what reason I cannot say—than at any other period ; there is 
also a great difference in individual call birds. The best should be 
selected. When fresh caught bullfinches are best placed in a low 
kind of box cage about G inches deep, with wires only on one 
side. Such cage may be easily made out of a soap box from the 
grocers, giving them a good supply of canary and hemp seed and 
water. If they refuse to eat the seed, which sometimes happens, 
give a few Blackberries or such other food as they feed on at the 
time ; the seed of the Dock is always a favourite dish in the 
winter, and the probability is in a day or two they will take to 
the seed, which should be strewed over the bottom of the cage. 
In a few days they may be placed in store cages in an aviary or 
sold. There is always a demand for them as pets, although their 
Fig. 95.—Hero op lockinge melon. 
natural song is not pleasing ; they soon become very familiar, 
even more so than a life-long-caged canary. I well remember 
when a boy hearing the first over my head in a Larch tree, and 
how I longed to have the bright-breasted fellow for my own ; 
since then how many have been taken to Birmingham during the 
cattle show weeks and sold I know not, but I generally used to 
take enough to clear my day’s expenses, and that is what I wish 
to impress upon the minds of the readers of the Journal. Instead 
of grumbling at the depredations of the birds and shooting them, 
and the fruit trees at the same time, catch them and turn them 
into cash on the score of economy and humanity. 
I may have some remarks to make upon the tit family at some 
future time, and should like to hear the opinion of other bee¬ 
keepers respecting the bee-killing propensity of these birds. I 
am of opinion that Mr. Harrison Weir is mistaken when he says 
they have “ eaten all my bees,” unless a very limited stock.—• 
James Hyam, Worcestershire. 
HERO OF LOCKINGE MELON. 
This fine new Melon was raised by Mr. Atkins, gardener to Col. 
Loyd-Lindsay, M.P., Lockinge Park, Wantage. The raiser in¬ 
forms us that he obtained this Melon by first crossing Colston 
Basset with Bead’s Scarlet-flesh, then crossing the variety so 
produced with Gilbert’s Victory of Bath. Mr. Atkins, in a letter 
before us, describes the Hero of Lockinge as of sturdy habit, a 
