Chapter VI: Introduction (5)

DISEASES.--Those bullfinches which are caught in a snare or net are
rarely ill, and may be preserved for eight years or more; but those
reared from the nest are subject to many diseases, caused by their
not having their natural food, or by those injurious delicacies which
are always lavished on favourite birds; they rarely live more than
six years. The surest means of preserving them healthy for a long
time, is to give them neither sweets nor tit-bits of any kind,
scrupulously to confine their food to rape seed, adding now and then
a very little hemp seed to please them, and a good deal of the green
food before mentioned. The bottom of their cages should be covered
with river sand, as the bird there finds some stones which aid the
functions of the stomach. Their most frequent diseases are moulting,
costiveness, diarrhoea, epilepsy, grief, and melancholy, in which
case they are quite silent, and remain immoveable, unless the cause
can be discovered. They must not be given any delicacy, and must be
fed entirely on soaked rape seed. A clove in their water, proper
food, and particularly a good deal of refreshing green food, enables
them to pass the moulting time in good health.

MODE OF TAKING.--There are few birds so easily attracted by the decoy
bird as bullfinches. They may also be taken by any of the usual
means. In winter numbers may be caught by a noose, by hanging to it
such berries as the bird likes; in spring and autumn they may be
caught in the area or barn floor trap; and provided they see berries
there, the decoy bird is not wanted; it is sufficient if one imitates
their soft cry of "_tui, tui_," in the hut.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Although the song of the male and female
bullfinch, in their wild state, is very harsh and disagreeable, yet
if well taught while young, as they are in Hesse and Fulda, where
there are schools of these little musicians, for all Germany,
Holland, and England, they learn to whistle all kinds of airs and
melodies with so soft and flute-like a tone, that they are great
favourites with amateurs, and particularly with the ladies. There are
some of these little birds which can whistle distinctly three
different airs, without spoiling or confusing them in the least.
Added to this attraction the bullfinch becomes exceedingly tame,
sings whenever it is told to do so, and is susceptible of a most
tender and lasting attachment, which it shows by its endearing
actions; it balances its body, moves its tail from right to left, and
spreads it like a fan. It will even repeat words, with an accent and
tone which indicates sensibility, if one could believe that it
understood them; but its memory must not be overloaded. A single air,
with a prelude or a short flourish to begin with, is as much as the
bird can learn and remember, and this it will execute to the greatest
perfection. These little prodigies would be more interesting and
agreeable, if their Hessian instructors possessed a little musical
taste, but these are generally tradespeople, employed about the house
with their different occupations and trades; and hymns, airs, and
minuets of a hundred years old, public house songs, or some learnt of
their apprentices, in general compose the whole of their music.

The bullfinch can also imitate the songs of other birds; but in
general it is not permitted to do so, that it may only learn to
repeat the airs which are taught it.

Different degrees of capacity are shown here, as well as in other
animals. One young bullfinch learns with ease and quickness, another
with difficulty and slowly; the former will repeat, without
hesitation, several parts of a song; the latter will be hardly able
to whistle one, after nine months' uninterrupted teaching. But it has
been remarked that those birds which learn with most difficulty
remember the songs, which have once been well learnt, better and
longer, and rarely forget them, even when moulting. Mr. Thiem[33],
bird-seller, at Waltershausen, near Gotha, sends annually to Berlin
and London one or two hundred bullfinches, instructed in this manner,
at from one to several pounds sterling a-piece, according as they are
more or less accomplished, whilst a wild one would cost only two or
three pence. These, however, are also kept in the room and prized,
both on account of their beauty and the great ease with which they
are tamed; they soon learn to fly on the hand, to receive their food,
or will even take it from the mouth, and become at last as familiar
as if they had been reared from the nest. The following are the means
which are employed to tame them:--As soon as a bullfinch is caught and
brought into the room, it must be put into a cage with food
sufficient for the first day only; for the loss of its liberty does
not prevent its eating as soon as it is disengaged from the lime
twigs or noose. The next day a band must be put round the body and
wings, like that which bird-catchers put round a decoy bird, which
they let run about out of doors; by means of this band the bullfinch
may be fastened by a piece of packthread, a foot in length, to some
place from which it cannot fall; this will prevent its beating itself
to death with its wings; a little bell may be fastened to a box,
which when filled with food must be given to the bird, at the same
time ringing the bell; it must be then left that it may eat; this
must be repeated several times in the day; the same must be done when
it is given anything to drink. The poor little captive will not at
first either eat or drink in any one's presence; it is therefore
necessary to retire for the two first days after having given it the
box, and only approach it by degrees, till it is accustomed to eat in
the presence of its master, which it will soon be, for generally on
the third day, as soon as it hears the bell and sees the box, it hops
forward, and eats without the least shyness. Then the distance must
be increased by degrees to make it come farther and farther, when, as
soon as it has eaten, it may be taken on the hand and carried here
and there, though it may seem a little frightened, but not being able
to escape it will soon become used to this treatment, and will even
begin to come to eat on the hand by continuing to do this for the
third and fourth days; it will fly of itself at the sound of the bell
to the hand which holds the box; after this the fastening may be
loosened, and if one only move from the bird gradually, it will
fearlessly approach and perch on the hand. Should it escape, however,
it must be again confined and left without food for some hours. By
this means a wild bullfinch will in eight days become accustomed to
fly immediately to the hand, or wherever it hears the bell; in order
to finish its education, it is well to increase the difficulty of
getting at its food, by putting it in a small bag with a very little
opening; it must also only have rape seed in the cage, keeping the
hemp seed, which it likes best, for the hand or little bag. It may be
taught to drink out of one's mouth by keeping it without water for
five or six hours. It may even be accustomed to go and return,
provided the house is not too near a wood. The surest means of
preventing too long an absence is to put a female bullfinch in a cage
in the window, or to leave her in the room with her wing clipped; its
affection will soon bring it back to her, and it will certainly never
abandon her altogether.

Tame bullfinches have been known (says Buffon) to escape from the
aviary, and live at liberty in the woods for a whole year, and then
to recollect the voice of the person who had reared them, return to
her, never more to leave her. Others have been known, which when
forced to leave their first master, have died of grief. These birds
remember very well, and often too well, any one who has injured them.
One of them having been thrown down, with its cage, by some of the
lowest order of people, did not seem at first much disturbed by it,
but afterwards it would fall into convulsions as soon as it saw any
shabbily dressed person, and it died in one of these fits eight
months after the first accident.

A bullfinch, belonging to a lady often mentioned before, being
subject to very frightful dreams, which made it fall from its perch,
and beat itself in the cage, no sooner heard the affectionate voice
of its mistress than, notwithstanding the darkness of the night, it
became immediately tranquil, and re-ascended its perch to sleep
again. It was very fond of chickweed, and as soon as it perceived one
bringing it to him, however much care was taken to prevent its
finding it easily, it would show its joy by its actions and cries.

THE GREEN BIRD.

Loxia chloris, LINNÆUS; Le Verdier, BUFFON; Der Grünling,
BECHSTEIN.

This bird is rather larger than the chaffinch, being six inches in length, of which the tail measures two and a half; the beak five lines in length. The iris is dark brown; the shanks are eight inches in height, and of a bluish flesh colour. The prevailing colour of the plumage is yellowish green, lighter on the lower part of the body, still more so on the rump and breast, and shading to white on the belly.

The female, which is smaller, is still more distinguished by the greenish brown of the upper part, and the ash-colour rather than yellowish green of the lower part of the body; she has besides some yellow spots on the breast, and the whole belly is rather white than yellow.

Sportsmen and bird-catchers mention three kinds of green birds, namely, the large, which is everywhere of a beautiful yellow; the middle sized, the under part of the body of which is light yellow; and the little, which they say is rather greenish than yellow; but all this variety depends upon the different ages of the bird, as well as its strength, and more or less beautiful tints of its plumage. What much more deserves to be remarked is the mule, which is the offspring of a green bird, and a female canary; it has a strong body; its colours are green and grey, mixed with yellow, when the female canary is yellow; but it is always a bad singer.

HABITATION.--When wild, the green bird may be found over all Europe,
though not often far north. It may be seen during summer, in hedges,
and on the borders of woods, and always where there are several trees
near together; during winter it wanders into different provinces, in
large and numerous flocks; but in March it begins to return from
these journeys.

In the house it may either be let range free, or be shut up in an
aviary with other birds, where it is always very peaceable as long as
it has sufficient food; but when that fails, it perches itself on the
general food-drawer, and keeps it determinedly, pecking it with its
beak so cleverly that no other bird can approach: should one venture,
it is soon obliged to go away or lose its feathers; otherwise this
bird is as quiet and tame in the house as it is wild and active when
at liberty.

FOOD.--In its wild state it seems to like all kinds of seed, even that
of the milk thistle, which all other birds dislike.

In the house, when it ranges at will, the second universal paste so
well agrees with it that it becomes quite fat; however, as a variety,
rape and hemp seed may be thrown to it; if in a cage it must only be
fed in summer with rape seed, except a little hemp seed, which may be
given after moulting, to make it sing. Lettuce, chickweed and other
green food, always agree with it, and even the berries of the juniper
tree.

BREEDING.--Its nest, which is almost always placed in a hedge, on a
large branch near the trunk of a tree, or on the top of an old
willow-tree, is firmly built with wool, moss, and lichen, and lined
with very fine roots and bristles. The female lays, twice a year,
four or five pointed eggs, of a silver hue, spotted with light violet
or brown. The young are at first of a greenish grey; some yellow
tints, however, may already be seen in the male. When reared from the
nest, it learns, though with difficulty, to imitate the different
songs of house-birds; and, as it almost always happens with slow
memories, having once learnt a thing it never forgets it. It also
sings through the whole year; it should therefore be taught by a bird
whose song is agreeable, for instance, a chaffinch, and then one
would have the pleasure of hearing it without interruption through
all the seasons.

DISEASES.--The constitution of the green bird being very strong and
healthy, it is rarely subject to disease. It may be kept in good
health for twelve years.

MODE OF TAKING.--If the decoy bird be a good one, the green bird may
be easily caught in the area or barn-floor trap, even in December. In
the spring it may be taken with bird-lime on the lure-bush, when a
linnet will do for the songstress. In order to make it eat soon, a
little crushed hemp seed should be thrown in the bottom of its cage.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Without being handsome its song is not
disagreeable; it may also be taught to repeat words; but its greatest
merit is the wonderful ease with which it is tamed, equalling, and
even surpassing the bullfinch in this particular. It may not only be
accustomed to go and return again, but also to build in a room near
an orchard, or in a summer-house in the garden. The following are the
means which must be taken to make it do this:---

After having taken the young from the nest they must be put in a
cage, and placed at the foot of the tree in which this nest is built,
in a place dug for the purpose, and on the cage a tit as a decoy.
When left there, the old birds come to feed their young, and are
caught in the snare. As soon as they are taken, they must all be
brought into the house, where the old and young must be put together
in any aviary, or large cage, till the latter can fly; the window may
then be opened for them to go out, but hunger will soon bring them
back. As soon as they have exercised their wings, the old birds
should be placed on the table in the window to call them back. In
time, they become so familiar that they will accompany one in a walk,
and there is no fear of their flying away. If they are not taken
thus, it is necessary to wait for winter and snow to let them go out,
and if they profit by the permission, to call them back by some of
their species placed in a cage in the window. If you wish to be quite
sure of success, you have only to put a board in the window, on which
two females with their wings cut, can run about, go out, and return.

The green bird likes to build near canaries, and as these are good
nurses, they are given the eggs of the green bird, which, like the
goldfinches and siskins, learns to draw up its water and food.

THE PINE GROSBEAK.

Loxia Enuclator, LINNÆUS; Le Durbec, BUFFON; Der
Fichtenkernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This is one of the largest species of grosbeak that we have, equalling the Bohemian chatterer in size. Its length is eight inches and a half, of which the tail measures three; the beak is short and thick, measuring only six lines; its colour is brown, the iris dark brown; the feet are from twelve to thirteen lines high, and blackish; the head, neck, breast and rump are of a light vermilion, with bluish tints; the feathers on the back and the lesser wing coverts are black, with reddish edges.

The female is generally of a greyish green, with some scattered reddish and yellowish tints, principally on the top of the head. It is not yet well known if this bird has the same changes of colour as the crossbill, since more yellow ones have been found than red. Experience shows that the same things take place in the house as out of doors. They acquire the yellow red, not only after the first moulting, but even before it. This change begins first round the beak, descends afterwards to the back and breast, and at last gradually extends over the whole body, so that what was red before becomes yellow; this yellow is darker than citron; all the red and yellow feathers are ash-colour at the base. The young are brownish, with a slight shade of yellow. During the first year the colour of the males is light red; it is only after this that they become darker vermilion or crimson; these birds are caught in autumn and winter, either in the noose or net, with elder or service berries as a lure.

OBSERVATIONS.--This bird is found in all the northern regions of
Europe, Asia, and America, and in Europe rarely passes the
fifty-third degree of latitude. It frequents the pine and fir
forests, the seeds of which form its food; in winter it quits these
places in search of berries; this is what ranks it among the erratic
birds. They are so stupid, that in the north they are easily caught
with a circle of brass wire fixed to the end of a long pole, to which
are fastened some horse-hair rings, which are simply passed over the
head of the bird. They are often caught and kept in cages, as they
are liked, both on account of the ease with which they are tamed, and
of their song, which is very agreeable; they will even sometimes sing
in the night, and always preserve their song through the whole year,
while the wild only sing in the spring.

HAWFINCH.

Loxia coccothraustes, LINNÆUS; Le Grosbec, BUFFON; Der gemeine
Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

One must be a very great bird fancier to wish to have this bird in the house. Its length is seven inches, of which the tail measures two inches and a third. The beak, which is very thick in proportion to the rest of the body, is like a large blunt cone, dark blue in summer, and flesh-coloured, with the tip black, in winter; the slim feet are nine lines in height, and of a pale crimson; the yellowish brown of the forehead unites with the light chestnut on the top of the head and cheeks; the circle of the head is black, and forms, under the chin, a large square spot; the nape of the neck and upper part of the back are of a fine ash-grey, the lower part is of a dark brown, with some shades of grey on the rump.

In the females, the cheeks, head, and upper tail coverts are of a greyish chestnut colour; the throat, wings, and tail rather brown than black, the spot on the wings greyish, the under part of the body reddish grey, shading to white on the belly.

HABITATION.--When wild, it may be found in all the temperate parts of
Europe and Russia. It is very common among the mountainous countries
of Germany, where the beech prevails in the forests. It is rather an
erratic bird than a bird of passage, and its excursions are ended in
March. Sonnini says, however, that he has seen it during winter, in
Egypt, with the blackbirds and thrushes, and its excursions are ended
in March.

In the house it is generally kept in a large wire cage, where it is
soon tamed. It may also be let run about, provided it has not too
many companions, and that it has food in abundance, for it is a very
quarrelsome bird.

FOOD.--In its wild state it eats many different things; the fruit of
the beech, elm, ash, and maple; the berries of the juniper,
service-tree, and white-thorn; cherries and plums, the stones of
which it breaks with the greatest ease, to eat the kernel; hemp seed,
cabbage, radish, and lettuce seed also form a part of its food.

In the house, if confined in the cage, it is contented with rape and
hemp-seed; and if it run about, with the second universal paste.

BREEDING.--Its nest is well built; the eggs, from three to five in
number, are greenish grey, spotted with brown, and streaked with
blackish blue. The young, when reared from the nest, will become so
tame as to eat from the hand, and will courageously defend itself
with its beak against the dogs and cats; it may also be accustomed to
go and come.

MODE OF TAKING.--The haste with which these birds come on hearing the
call, makes it very easy to catch them in the net, by throwing
berries or hemp seed on the trap. In autumn and winter they may be
taken by the noose, with service-berries; in spring they may be
caught by placing lime twigs on the nest. The loss of their liberty
does not prevent their eating immediately rape or hemp seed.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--I confess that it has very few; its song is
less agreeable than any of the others', it is a kind of low
whistling, mixed with some harsh tones; but its great tameness may
please; it is necessary, however, to guard one's self from its beak.

THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK, OR VIRGINIAN NIGHTINGALE.

Loxia cardinalis, LINNÆUS; Cardinal huppé, ou Rossignol de
Virginie, BUFFON; Der Cardinal Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

The length of this bird is eight inches, of which the tail measures three. Its beak is strong and light red, like its feet; the iris is dark brown; the head is ornamented with a tuft, which, when raised, is pointed; the throat and the part round the beak are black; the rest of the body is of a beautiful bright red; the pen and tail-feathers are less brilliant, and brown on the anterior part.

The female is in general of a reddish brown.

OBSERVATIONS.--The beautiful song of this grosbeak is so like that of
the nightingale, that this name has been given it; but its voice is
so strong that it pierces the ears. It sings through the whole year,
except during the time of moulting.

In its wild state, its principal food is the seed of the Indian corn
and buck-wheat; it collects a considerable quantity of this food,
which it skilfully covers with leaves and twigs, only leaving a very
small hole, as the entrance to this magazine. In the cage it is fed
with millet, rape seed, hemp seed, and the like, which agree with it
very well.

Some persons have endeavoured to make it breed in large aviaries in
the middle of gardens, but I do not know that it has ever succeeded.
In Germany it is very dear, being as much as six or eight pounds
sterling for a pair.

THE JAVA SPARROW, OR RICE BIRD.

Loxia orycivora, LINNÆUS; Le Padda, ou Oiseau de Riz, BUFFON;
Der Reiskernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is about the size of a bullfinch, and five inches in length, of which the tail measures two. The beak is thick, and of a fine rose colour; the feet are paler; the eyelids naked, and edged with rose colour; the head, throat, and streak which surrounds the cheeks, are black; the cheeks are white; the rump, tail, and greater pen-feathers are black, but all the rest of the upper part of the body, the wing-coverts, hinder pen-feathers, and breast, are of a dark grey; the belly purple grey; the lower tail-coverts white. "The whole plumage," says Buffon, "is so well arranged, that no one feather passes another, and they all appear downy, or rather covered with that kind of bloom which you see on plums; this gives them a very beautiful tint."

In the female the colours are rather lighter on the back and belly: the young are not only paler, but also irregularly spotted with dark brown on the cheeks and lower part of the belly.

OBSERVATIONS.--There are few vessels coming from Java and the Cape of
Good Hope that do not bring numbers of these birds, which have as bad
a character in those countries, and particularly in China, their
native place, as the sparrows have amongst us, on account of the
ravages they make in the rice fields. They have nothing attractive
but their beauty, for their song is short and monotonous. They cost
four or five pounds sterling a pair in Germany.

THE WAXBILL.

Loxia Astrild, LINNÆUS; Le Sénégali rayé, BUFFON; Der Gemeine
Senegalist, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is hardly larger than a golden-crested wren, its length being four inches and a half, of which the tail measures two inches; the beak is rather rough at the base, and of a dark red; the band which crosses the eyes, the centre of the breast and belly, are red; the upper part of the body is brown, and the lower reddish grey, the whole streaked with transverse blackish lines, which become finer as they approach the head; the quill-feathers are brown, as well as the tail, which is wedge-shaped, and streaked with darker transverse lines; the feet are brown. These birds change colour like the amandava finch; thus some are found with the tail entirely brown, others which have the rump crimson, and the rest of the body brown above and white below, and some have the belly yellow, and the back spotted with white; there are some, indeed, which have the neck and throat bluish, the under part of the body white, mixed with iron colour, and the upper part blue.

OBSERVATIONS.--They inhabit the Canary Islands, Senegal, Angola, the
Cape of Good Hope, and may even be found as far as India, whence they
are brought to Europe. Their beautiful shape, their amiable
disposition, and the affection which they show to every one
indiscriminately, render them such favourites, that a dozen may be
often seen in one cage. Their song is scarcely any thing. They are
fed on millet, which also forms their food in their native country,
to the damage of the fields which are sown with it. They approach
villages like our sparrows; they are caught in traps made of the
shell of a gourd, and cut like a bowl, on which some millet is
scattered.

THE AMANDAVA.

Fringilla amandava, LINNÆUS; Le Bengali Piqueté, BUFFON; Der
Getiegerte Bengalist, BECHSTEIN.

This beautiful little bird, which is brought to Europe in great numbers from Bengal, Java, Malacca, and other tropical countries of Asia, is only four inches long, of which the tail measures one and a third. Most ornithologists class it with the sparrows, but it seems to me that it belongs rather to the grosbeaks. Its beak is short and thick, being only four lines in length, and the diameter at the base measuring three. Its colour is deep bright red; the iris is also red; the feet are six lines in height, and of a pale flesh-colour; in the male the head and under part of the body are of a fiery red, the upper part of a dark grey, but the feathers have a broad red edge, so that this colour seems to prevail; thus the edge of the feathers on the rump make it appear of a brilliant orange, though, like the belly, it is properly black; the feathers of the back, tail, sides of the breast and belly, the wing-coverts, hinder quill-feathers, and both tail-coverts, are terminated at the tip with shining white spots, which are largest on the hinder quill-feathers, and larger wing-coverts, the colour of which is otherwise black.

The female is one third smaller than the male; part of the upper mandible is black; the head and upper part of the body, including the wing-coverts, are of a dark ash-colour; the feathers on the rump have only an orange edge, with a light tip; the cheeks are of a light grey; the under part of the body is pale sulphur, the pen-feathers blackish; the greater and lesser wing-coverts are finely speckled with white; the tips of the tail-feathers are greyish white.

The male varies in its colours for several years before it permanently acquires those above described: it may be seen with the back grey, slightly tinted with red, the belly black, speckled with yellow; others with the back reddish grey, spotted with bright red, and the belly of a sulphur yellow, with black rings, and more or less speckled, &c.

OBSERVATIONS.--These birds are as sociable as the waxbills; if there
should be twenty or thirty in the same cage, they perch close against
one another on the same perch; and, what is more singular, they never
sing together, but one after another, the rest keeping quite silent
to listen to the songster. Their song resembles that of the hay bird,
and continues through the winter. The females do not sing; those are
wrong who think the contrary. They are very active, often bowing and
spreading their tail like a fan. In their native country their food
consists of different seeds, particularly millet; this is also given
it in the cage, as well as canary seed. They eat and drink a great
deal. They will live from six to ten years.

THE PARADISE GROSBEAK.

Loxia erythrocephala, LINNÆUS; Le Cardinal d'Angola, BUFFON;
Der Paridiese-Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This species is about six inches long; the beak and feet are flesh-coloured, the head and chin red; the upper part of the neck, the back, rump, and wing-coverts, bluish grey; the upper tail-coverts are edged with grey; the under part of the body white, with dark brown spots on the sides; the wing-coverts white at the tip, which forms two transverse streaks on the wings; the pen and tail-feathers are of a dark grey, with lighter tips. The female does not differ from the male.

OBSERVATIONS.--The male sings through the whole year, but its voice is
so weak that the least noise overpowers it. In England this species
has been made to breed in an aviary. Its food is millet and rape
seed, and sometimes a little hemp seed.

THE REDBILL.

Loxia sanguinirostris, LINNÆUS; Le Becsanguin, BUFFON; Der
Rothschäbliger Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This pretty little bird is three inches and a half long, of which the tail measures one inch, and the beak four lines. The feet are nine lines in height, the middle claw measures five lines and the side ones four. The beak is strong, rather naked at the forehead, and of a dark blood red; the feet are of a very red colour, the claws black; the eyelids red, and irides orange; the circle of the beak, including the forehead, eyes, and chin, is black; the top of the head rust-colour, more or less approaching to red, scattered with blackish spots, formed by the black of the feathers; the under part of the body of a brownish red, clouded with white, and lighter on the sides and the lower part of the belly, the whole spotted with black in the young birds, but with no spots in the old ones.

The female is altogether lighter, and has no black on the head, but two dark grey streaks above and under the eyes; the under part of the body is only reddish grey.

OBSERVATIONS.--This species is found on the coasts of Africa, in
Bengal, and other parts of Asia. It is a very agreeable bird, and
though its voice is weak its song is only the more melodious. A male
and female put together in a cage seem to be taken up with their
mutual affection, always feeding and caressing each other. They are
fed on crushed canary and hemp seed, which preserves them in good
health for several years. The room in which they are kept must be
heated during winter.

THE DOMINICAN.

Loxia Dominicana, LINNÆUS; Le Paroare, BUFFON; Der Dominicaner
Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is about the size of a lark. The upper part of the beak is brown, and the lower light flesh-colour; the feet are grey; the front of the head, the throat, and part of the neck red; the back of the head is blackish, with a slight mixture of white.

OBSERVATIONS.--This bird comes from Brazil, and possesses nothing
attractive but its beauty. Its song is merely an occasional call. In
Germany it costs three pounds sterling.

THE GRENADIER.

Loxia orix, LINNÆUS; Le Cardinal du Cap de Bonne Espérance,
BUFFON; Der Grenadier Kernbeisser, oder Feuervogel, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is about the size of a sparrow. The beak is black; iris chestnut; feet dark flesh-colour; forehead, sides of the head, chin, lower part of the breast and belly blackish; the throat, top of the head and breast, rump, vent, and tail are of a fiery red, or brilliant carmine, and soft, like velvet.

VARIETIES.--1. A black spot on the chin; thighs red.

2. Tail dark brown, with a greyish white border.

In the female the beak is raven black, the upper part of the body dark brown, with light grey edges to the feathers; the head dark grey, with a whitish streak which passes above the eyes; the under part of the body light grey. From this it seems to be very like the house sparrow; its plumage is, however, altogether lighter.

The male takes these colours, in the house, at the second moulting, but the streaks are darker, the feathers of the upper part of the body being blackish, with broad borders of reddish grey; the streak above the eyes is of a pale sulphur. When wild, the males, immediately after pairing, which is in January, lose their red feathers, and become like the females, but have them again in July, about the time of the second breeding season. They are pretty whilst moulting, when the head and body are speckled, the tail and neck still remaining red.

OBSERVATIONS.--These birds, which are very numerous in all the
colonies at the Cape of Good Hope, do as much mischief there to the
flowers and ears of corn, as the sparrows do in Europe. When retiring
by thousands in the evening, from the fields to the reeds, they make
such a noise with their chirping as may be heard to a great distance.
Their call is like the sparrows' "_dib, dib_," and their song as weak
as that of the siskin; the nest is skilfully constructed with small
twigs interwoven with cotton, and has but one opening, with two
compartments, one above the other, the upper for the male and the
lower for the female; the eggs are green.

These birds, when kept in a cage, are fed on canary seed. The male
and female never like to be separated; there is no instance, however,
of their breeding in these climates.

THE CAPE FINCH.

Loxia Capensis, LINNÆUS; Le Pinson noir et jaune, BUFFON; Der
Capsche Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

I have one of these birds, which is about the size of a bullfinch: its length is six inches and a quarter, of which the tail, which is rather wedge-shaped, measures two and a half. The beak is whitish above, very much compressed on the sides, and very pointed; the iris dark brown; feet dark flesh-colour. The head, neck, top of the back, all the under part of the body, and the tail are of a fine velvet black.

The female, which is light brown, has a black spot in the centre of each feather; the sides of the head and greater wing-coverts are grey white, streaked with black; the lesser coverts and the rump of a light yellow; the tail-feathers edged with grey; the beak pale or raven grey.

The plumage of the male after pairing is like that of the female.

OBSERVATIONS.--This bird, which comes from the Cape of Good Hope lives
very well in the house; it is kept in a cage, alone or with the
female, and fed with hemp and canary seed. In its native country it
frequents the edges of streams and rivers, feeds on seeds, but is not
so mischievous as the preceding. The eggs are grey, spotted with
black. It is said to be nice to eat.

THE CAFFRARIAN FINCH.

Loxia Caffra, LINNÆUS; Le Caffre, BUFFON; Der Mohren
Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is very little larger than the bullfinch, but its long and raised tail is about twice the length of its body: it is only ornamented with it during the pairing season. The beak is brown grey; the feet grey; the prevailing colour of the plumage is velvet black; the shoulders are red; the coverts white; the pen-feathers brown grey, with a white border.

The female is always grey, and has only a little red on the shoulders. The male acquires its beautiful black plumage at the beginning of November, and loses it in January, to assume the colours of the female.

OBSERVATIONS.--This species, which is found in the interior of the
country north of the Cape, lives and builds in marshes: it is rarely
brought to Europe. The long tail of the male requires a large cage in
order to preserve its beauty. In its wild state this length of tail
is very inconvenient during the high winds; and during the rainy
season it may be caught by the hand. It is fed with canary seed.

THE BLUE FINCH.

Loxia coerulea, LINNÆUS; Le Bouvreuil bleu d'Amérique, BUFFON;
Der dunkelblaue Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is the size of the common grosbeak, about six inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two. The beak, which measures six lines, is strong, and of a dark brown; the feet black; a black streak surrounds the chin, and extends to the eyes: the whole plumage is blue, except the greater wing coverts, the pen-feathers, and the central tail feathers, which are dark brown.

The female is entirely brown, with a slight mixture of blue.

OBSERVATIONS.--I have had an opportunity of observing this bird among
the collection belonging to his Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe
Meiningen, where it is fed on canary seed. It calls little, and its
song is weak, but its plumage is beautiful. It is found in several
parts of America, in Brazil, Cayenne, and even in Carolina.

YELLOW-BELLIED GROSBEAK.

Loxia flaviventris, LINNÆUS; Le Grosbec jaune du Cap de Bonne
Espérance, BRISSON; Der gelbafterige Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

I am not sure that this bird, which I have also seen amongst those of his Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, is the true _Loxia flaviventris_ of Linnæus. It is of the size of the common chaffinch, and five inches long. The beak, which is moderately strong, very much resembles that of the chaffinch, and is of a horn brown. The feet are a dull brown. The head and neck are of a dull pale blue; the upper part of the body olive, the whole of the under part is a fine bright orange.

The Yellow Grosbeak of the Cape of Good Hope is thus described:--the head, upper part of the neck, and back are olive, with stripes of brown; the rump olive. The under part of the body deep yellow; on each side of the head is a yellow band which passes above the eyes; the wings and tail feathers are brown, edged with olive.

The female only differs in the colours being less vivid.

VARIETY.--The top of the head, the upper part of the body, and the breast are olive; the back of the neck, even to the throat, is ash-coloured; the belly yellow, but between the legs white. The wings are black, bordered with orange; the tail feathers dark green, but they are bordered with yellow, and are black up the middle.

OBSERVATIONS.--This bird has been sold as the female of the preceding,
and placed in the same cage. It lived very sociably; but I should
suspect it rather of being the female of that under notice. It is a
native of the Cape of Good Hope.

THE GOWRY BIRD.

Loxia punctularia, LINNÆUS; Le Grosbec tacheté de Java,
BUFFON; Der getüpfelte Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is the size of a linnet, about four inches and a quarter in length. The beak and feet black; the whole of the upper part of the body, and the lower, as far as the breast, chestnut brown; the cheeks marked with a reddish purple tinge; the belly and sides white, but all the feathers bordered with black in the form of a heart.

The female has no red tinge on the cheeks, the beak and feet are deep brown; the sides white, tinged with deep brown: the back reddish brown.

OBSERVATIONS.--This species, which I have seen in the collection of
His Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, comes from Java; it is
kept in a cage and fed on canary seed. Its call is "_deguay_," its
feeble song somewhat resembles the siskin's.

THE BANDED FINCH.

Loxia fasciata, LINNÆUS; La Collerette BUFFON; Der gebänderte
Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is the size of the preceding, about four inches and a half in length. The beak is bluish grey. The feet short and flesh-coloured; the upper part of the body dark reddish ash grey, each feather having two black transverse bands, only one of which is visible; the cheeks and lower mandible are surrounded by a band of dark reddish purple.

The female has not this collar, and its plumage is paler; the under part of its body is red brown, each feather edged with a deeper shade.

VARIETIES.--The one I have actually before me, and which I received from Mr. Thiem, bird-dealer at Waltershausen, is a fine male, whose plumage is as follows:--

The head is dull orange, with black stripes very near together; the upper part of the neck, the back and rump, are the same shade of orange, but each feather is intersected by a semicircular black line, and terminated by a spot of red brown; the scapular wing coverts and last pen-feathers are dark grey, with transverse angular black bands, and bordered at the tips with red brown.

2. This variety is thus described in Latham's Synopsis of Birds.

The top of the head, upper part of the neck, and lesser wing coverts, light brown, with semicircular black lines; the cheeks plain brown, but edged at the lower part with bright crimson, below which is a black line; the breast and belly light brown, occasionally marked with semicircular lines; the pen-feathers and tail are brown.

OBSERVATIONS.--Bird-fanciers give to these the name of Indian
sparrows, though they come from Africa; their cry is similar to that
of the common sparrow, and their song not very different. They are
fed on canary seeds.

THE BROWN-CHEEKED FINCH.

Loxia canora, LINNÆUS; Der braunwangige Kernbeisser,
BECHSTEIN.

This bird is the size of the siskin, and four inches in length. The beak short, strong, and horn brown. The feet flesh-colour. The cheeks brown, adorned with a yellow border from the throat to the back of the ear. The female has no yellow border to the cheeks.

OBSERVATIONS.--This pretty species comes from Mexico; its song is soft
and clear; its actions are as lively as they are amusing. It is kept
in a cage, and fed on canary seed and millet.

THE MALACCA FINCH.

Loxia Malacca, LINNÆUS; Le Jacobin, BUFFON; Der Malackische
Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is the size of the greenfinch, and four inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures one and a half. The beak thick, five lines in length, and bluish grey; the feet the same colour. The head, neck, a stripe, which extends up the belly to the vent, and the thighs, are black; the back, wings and tail, pale chestnut.

The following is mentioned as a _variety_.

The Chinese Grosbeak (_Brisson's Ornithology_, III., _page_ 235, _No._ 7), with the head, throat, and front of the neck black, the upper part of the body red brown or chestnut, the wings and tail similar to the one above.

I have seen this bird in a room several times, and have always regarded it as a male, on account of its song, and because, after moulting, its plumage returned unaltered, not becoming either white on the breast or black at the vent.

Edwards, who has represented it in his 355th plate, has added a female, which he kept in the same cage, and which was improved by its companion. The upper part of its body was grey brown, the sides of the head and under part of the body pinkish, or rather blush colour, the wing and tail feathers blackish, the feet flesh-colour.

The blackness of the wings and tail makes me suspect that this female belongs to another species; its attachment and familiarity prove nothing. We know, in fact, that nearly all granivorous birds hold communion together, and mutually caress each other with the bill.

OBSERVATIONS.--The Malacca Finch comes from the East Indies: it is
very gentle, confiding, and lively. Its voice is strong; its cry,
"_tziapp_," pronounced in a loud clear tone. Though its song is
somewhat nasal and rather noisy, it is not disagreeable.

Its food, when in confinement, is hemp and canary seed, which I have
known preserve it for a long time in good health.

THE SNOW BUNTING.

Emberiza nivalis, LINNÆUS; L'Ortolan de neige, BUFFON; Der
Schneeamer, BECHSTEIN.

Naturalists say that the plumage of this bird differs considerably in summer and winter; though, from analogy with others of its species, I am authorized in suspecting that this change arises rather from age. I shall leave the question undecided; and since we can never see this bird when it has retired in summer within the arctic circle, its native home, I shall content myself with describing its winter colours, such as we may see them in a room.

It is the size of a lark, six inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two and two-thirds. The beak is five or six lines in length, with every characteristic of the bunting species, conical in form, rather bent at the sides, and having a bony tubercle like a grain of barley at the palate; its colour in the singing season is quite black, at other times the point alone is black, the rest yellow. The back and rump are black, the feathers of the back being edged with white, whilst those of the rump and scapulars are edged with yellowish brown, darker in spring than summer.

The female is rather smaller, the head and upper part of the neck white, with a mixture of cinnamon-brown, and transverse spots of the same colour form a kind of broken band across the white breast.

The young ones which are taken in winter are known by their dark brown beak; the lower part of the back is of the same colour, but their feathers are edged with a light grey. The male has the head most speckled with yellow brown, the cheeks of the female are of the same tint, and it has spots of this on the breast.

OBSERVATIONS.--When the winter is severe, these birds are seen from
December to May in many parts of Germany, where they even approach
the villages. I am persuaded that, if attention were paid to them,
they might be seen in every direction, during March, on their passage
to the North; whilst snow is on the ground they are found in company
with larks, on the high roads and in the fields; they may then be
taken with horse dung, placed in net, or covered with bird-lime, or by
clearing a spot of ground of snow and strewing it with oats. I have
had a pair six years in my room without a cage, and they are
satisfied with the food common for other birds: if kept in a cage,
they must be fed on hemp seed, oats, millet, rape, and poppy seeds.
They appear much delighted whilst bathing; during the night they seem
very uneasy, hopping and running about continually. Their strong and
piercing cry resembles a loud whistle; their song would be rather
agreeable were it not interrupted in a peculiar manner; it is a
warbling mingled with some high noisy notes, descending slowly from
shrill to deep, and a little strong and broken whistling. Heat is so
contrary to their nature, that they cannot be preserved unless
carefully guarded from it.

THE MOUNTAIN BUNTING.

Emberiza montana, LINNÆUS; L'Ortolan de Montagne, BUFFON; Der
Bergammer, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is smaller than the snow bunting, has a short, strong yellow beak, with a black point; the head is nearly flat, the frontal band light chestnut; the upper part of the neck and back grey, with black streaks, most numerous on the back, causing a resemblance to the female yellowhammer; feet black.

The breast of the female is of a deeper colour than the male's.

OBSERVATIONS.--This species, inhabiting the cold regions of Europe, is
never found in great numbers. In Thuringia, and some other provinces
of Germany, they are seen generally every year, in March, the time of
passage, settling in pairs along the high roads, searching for a few
undigested grains in the dung of animals. Their song is shrill,
tolerably pleasing, and interrupted like the yellowhammer's. They may
be easily kept in the house, either caged or not, feeding them on
oats, bread, hemp, and other seeds. These birds also appear uneasy
during the night, especially in the pairing season, uttering their
call amidst the darkness. Some are occasionally met with of a dull
orange on the upper part of the body, streaked with yellow on the
head, and deep orange on the back. These are young birds. This
species is caught in the same manner as the snow bunting.

THE YELLOWHAMMER.

Emberiza citrinella, LINNÆUS; Le Bruant, BUFFON; Der
Goldammer, BECHSTEIN.

However well known this bird may be, it is still necessary that it should be described minutely, as the young males and old females are often confounded with one another. It is six inches and a half in length, of which the forked tail measures three. The beak, five lines long, is dark brown in summer, and ash grey in winter; the feet are of a light brown. The head of the old males is of a fine yellow, generally having some streaks of dark olive scattered over the top and on the cheeks; it is only in very old birds that the head and neck are of a golden yellow, without any mixture; the upper part of the neck is olive; the back black, mingled with reddish grey; the feathers have black up the middle, and the edges reddish grey; the rump is of a deep red; the throat, with the under part of the neck and the belly, are yellow, more or less golden; the breast, especially its sides, as well as the small coverts of the tail, is streaked with yellow and red.

The female is rather smaller than the male; the yellow of the head, neck, and throat, is scarcely seen through the spots scattered over it, which are brown on the head and cheeks, and olive-coloured on the neck; the breast is only speckled with rust red, and the wing coverts with reddish white, so that at a distance it appears rather brown than yellow.

Young male birds, in spring, scarcely differ from old females, except that a spot of yellow may even then be seen on the top of the head, as well as a streak of the same colour above the eyes and on the throat; in fact, the breast and rump are rather of a deep reddish brown than rust red, and also without spots.

HABITATION.--In its wild state the yellowhammer is found in all parts
of Europe, and the north of Asia. It remains in summer about the
skirts of forests and small woods. It overruns the fields in autumn,
and in the winter approaches our buildings, particularly barns and
stables.

When confined it is generally allowed to run about the room, but
where it is rare, and therefore most valued, it is kept in a cage.

FOOD.--When wild these birds live on insects, particularly
caterpillars, on which, like all the other species of this genus,
they feed their young. In autumn and winter, they have recourse to
all kinds of grain; but they prefer oats, which, with barley, wheat,
and millet, they know how to get at very cleverly, notwithstanding
the bony tubercle at their palate. They also feed upon rape, and
other small seeds, when they can get them.