OF BIRDS. 
U9- 
lo fit and fing on the fhoulders or chairs of thofe 
who fed them. A gentleman, in Staffordfhire, 
found a Rcd-breaft one morning in his chamber; 
it fat and fang on a chair ; he opened the win¬ 
dow to let it go out, but the bird feemed to have 
conceived an affedlion for him, and flew after 
him down flairs, fed on fome crumbs whiift the 
gentleman was at breakfaft, amufing him with 
his fong, and flying about the houfe all day. At 
night, the little fociable bird followed him up 
flairs when he retired to his chamber, and the 
next morning he was awakened by the Robin 
fluttering over his face; the bird then retired to 
his chair and began to fing, and in this manner 
continued to live for fome time with the gentleman, 
though every day he might have gone out, the 
windows being left open with that view. In a 
tame ftate, Rcd-breafts will eat almoft anything, 
bread, or (mail pieces of meat, or grain. 
As the Red-breaft lives moftly on infers in 
fummer, it is a bird difficult to bring up in a 
ca^e, though naturally tame : his beak is flight, 
like that of birds that feed chiefly on infedls. 
In autumn they are very fat, and delicate food. 
In England the Red-breaA is held in peculiar 
cfleem. The old, and favourite ballad of the 
Children in the Wood, may not have contributed 
a little 
