76 
ON BIRDS. 
male, in particular, appeared much to regret being turned out of his 
winter quarters; lie uttered such n very plaintive cry, and seemed 
so uneasy, that I could only account for it from the supposition that 
he was attracted by the call of one still in confinement; however, af¬ 
ter several hours had elapsed, finding him still hovering about, I set 
out an empty cage, and sprinkled a few seeds in it; when he saw the 
cage, he almost immediately entered it, and commenced eating in 
<<r right earnest,” and when I advanced towards him, he very 
deliberately hopped upon the perch, apparently well pleased, I kept 
him till' (I think) about June, when he contrived to liberate himself, 
and leave the room without my permission. In August 1817, to the 
best of my recollection, I found a bullfinch ’s nest with four or five 
eggs within a few days of hatching, these I placed in a canary’s nest, 
whose eggs were addled; they were hatched in a few days, and two 
males were reared. One of these I left constantly in the same cage 
with the canaries, being anxious to see whether he would learn the 
canary’s call, and song, or his own natural notes; he appeared to 
know nothing of the latter, and the former he only partially acquired, 
and added a numerous catalogue of other notes, which I suppose he 
had gathered from various quarters, and by blending all together, he 
made out a curious song, with an exceeding many twistings and turn¬ 
ings in it. The other bird I removed as much as possible out of the 
company, and hearing of all other birds, intending to teach him one 
or two favourite airs, but either the master, or the scholar, or both, 
were dunces; for after nine months earnest application at whistling 
to him, he appeared nearly as little calculated to join in the melody 
(if melody it may be called) as at first: there was one or two ac¬ 
quirements, however, I must give him credit for:—he very were tame 
and familiar, and appeared much delighted when noticed by compa¬ 
ny ; I had accustomed myself to call some fancy pigeons, by a pecu¬ 
liar whistle into the room to be fed; this whistle he learnt to a nice¬ 
ty, and as he was fond of company, whenever I was absent and left 
open the window, which I repeatedly did, he would call the whole 
stock of pigeons into the room, and cry pitiously if they again at¬ 
tempted to leave it: he had his own natural wild notes, although I 
am not aware, he ever heard any of his own species, except amongst 
the general chorus in the woods. In the following spring, that, in 
company with the canaries, paired with a female canary, although 
there were male canaries in the same cage: I then removed the cou¬ 
ple into a large breeding cage, where they soon commenced building 
a nest, and a more affectionate pair I never saw, he serenaded his 
mate with his curious song, fed her on the nest with the greatest at- 
