INTRODUCTION. 
11 
when sitting upon the finger its favorite food must he held to 
it upon the tip of the exteded tongue. Hunger soon teaches it 
to peck. Such tame birds learn, also, speedily to sing upon the 
finger. To accomplish this, nothing more is necessary than 
to induce it by certain tones, motions, and fondling. But it 
is still further requisite to observe in this process of taming, 
that, to be effectual, it should be continued for a longer time 
than is here laid down. May we not presume that the bird 
will, in the course of a few weeks, do that freely which has 
been taught, or rather forced upon it, in this short space of 
time. 
FOOD OF TAME BIRDS. 
In selecting the food of birds in confinement, it is requisite 
to do so, as far as is practicable, in accordance with the nature 
of its food in a natural state. This, indeed, is frequently 
difficult, if not wholly impossible. Great caution, therefore, 
must be observed to accustom the birds we keep, or rather 
their stomachs, by degrees, to the food we a^e compelled to 
supply them, although it cannot be denied that there are 
birds, also, which, as soon as they are placed in the aviary, eat 
anything that is given to them. But others are more deli¬ 
cate, and will not eat at all, partly from grief at the loss of 
their liberty, and partly from not finding the food they have 
been accustomed to. Great care must therefore, be taken of 
these. If such as are known to be delicate—the majority of 
singing birds—for instance, commence greedily eating as soon 
as they are placed in the chamber, it is a bad sign; for they 
will certainly die, as it implies an unnatural indifference to the 
loss of their liberty, which is almost always deducible from 
sickliness. Those which creep into corners and seem for 
some hours to pine, it is less necessary to be anxious 
about; but they must not be disturbed until their ill-humor 
subsides. 
A Dr. Meyer, of Offenbach, Germany, remarks as follows upon 
