7 * tiie natural history 
thcfe birds dii'appcar for a fhort time. In the fum- 
mer they frequent woods; and orchards in the win¬ 
ter. In Burgundy there arc fewer in winter than in 
fummer; they feem to arrive in numbers in April, 
they fly iri fmall flocks, and perch in copies. They 
build in trees about ten or twelve feet from the 
ground ; like the nett of turtles, theirs are com- 
pofcd of twigs of dry wood, fattened with fmall 
roots ; they lay five eggs, blue, fpottcd with 
brown: as their numbers are not confiderable, it 
is probable that they breed but dhce a year. I hey 
feed their young on infe&s, and chryfalis’s; and 
if any attempt be made to rob tlieir nefts, they 
defend them with great refolution with their | 
beaks, which being ftrong enough to break cherry- 
ftones ; enable them to bite very hard. 
Befides fruit they eat many infefts, but when 
confined they conftantly refute flefh. In their 
natural ftate they feed on almoft all kind of grain, 
and on the kernels of fruit; on the feeds of 
firs, the matt of beech, on walnuts, and almonds. 
Their hearing feems very imperfect, and they 
have very little note. They are not taken with 
a bird call. 
When they are confined, it is proper to put 
them in cages, feparate from other birds, lor 
without appearing at all irritated, they are very 
apt 
6 
