PE I PE TED 



CE a 
— ‘ pt ’ ~ 
OF BIRDS - 59 
mM tb fit and fing on the fhoulders or bois of tho 
who fed them. A gentleman, in Staffordthire, 
_ found a Red-breaft one morning in his chamber; 
it fat and fang on a chair; he opened the win- 
dow tolet it go out, but a bird feemed to have © 
conceived an affeGion for him, and flew after 
him down ftairs, 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. 
fairs 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 Rate, Red. breafts will eat almoft any thing, 
bread, or {mall pieces of meat, or grain. 
As the Red-breaft lives moftly on infeSts in 
fummer, it is a bird dificult to bring up in a 
cage, though naturally tame: his beak is flight, 
like that of birds that feed chiefly on infects. 
- In autumn they are very fat, and delicate food, 
In England the Red-breatt is held in peculiar 
efleem, The old, and favourite ballad of the 
Children in the Wood, may not have contributed 
a little 
