conjuring or any pretence to it. The birds are in a cage with several compartments. In front of the cage is arranged a platform filled with cards, each exactly similar to the other on the side presented to the birds, but bearing various inscriptions on

their prefaces, such as the letters of the alphabet, the numerals singly and in combination, the days of the week, month, or year, the months, the seasons, &c. On the bidding of any one of the company the birds tell the day of the week, month, or year; the

seasons; the time by any one's watch; or they will spell any word indicated, provided it does not contain any one letter twice over. All these things are done with the most perfect precision, and there is no apparent collusion. Mdlle. Vandermeersch does not touch the birds or the cards, and the little animals hop out of their cages and pick out the cards with their beaks, seemingly with a very serious effort at recollection and calculation."

III. THE BULLFINCH.

THIS is another prime" Feathered Favourite"-one of the sweetest of songsters, and one of the most docile and tractable of birds. In appearance it may be called rather handsome than elegant. It has a bluff, John Bull sort of look, with a well set-up, portly body, and a large bullet head, joined to it by a very stout neck, from which one would be inclined to predicate apoplexy as the cause of death. The beak, too, is more like a good-sized Roman nose, or would be, if it were thinner; and the eye is round and full. All go to make up

a general rotundity of form, which might very properly be called clumsy, were it not for the sprightly motions and richly-tinted and glossy plumage of the bird, which give to its whole ensemble a kind of graceful dignity very pleasing to contemplate. It is not often, however, that one has a chance of doing this abroad in the woods and fields; for the hooded bullfinch, as Macgillivray calls it, is a shy bird, and generally keeps pretty close in the thickets and hedges, pouring out its low and desultory yet sweet song for the entertainment of its sitting mate; or it may be for

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the mere pleasure which every creature finds in the exercise of its peculiar endowments. Some authors-Bechstein among them-describe the natural song of the bullfinch as harsh and unmusical. We do not think it so; there is a plaintive melody about it, which to us is exceedingly touching; and it is very curious to watch the male bird while it sings to its mate, which also sometimes utters a responsive strain. If, directed by the unmistakable call-note of the bird, you can make your way noiselessly to some snug hiding-place, near to where the nest is situated, you will see Master Bully in all his glory, sitting on a branch, and making the strangest contortions imaginable, while he pipes his song of hope and domestic affection; now, bowing his head gravely two or three times towards his partner, like a courtly gentleman at the conclusion of a minuet; now, puffing out his neck and ruffling the feathers all over his body, until he looks twice the natural size; now jerking his tail up and down, and spreading it out like a fan, he seems not to know how to express the fullness of delight which swells that breast of his, so broad and brightly tinted. Meantime, there sits my Lady Bull, to whom all these soft notes and expressive motions are directed, in a hawthorn or other thick bush, upon her nest, somewhat loosely woven of twigs, fine roots, and moss, within which are four or five eggs of a pale blue colour, speckled and sprinkled with grayish and reddish brown. The slightest noise will suffice to stop the pantomime of love; down go the ruffled plumes in an instant, the bowed head is erect, the cocked-up tail straight, and the quick eye cast warily round. You hear a sharp "twit," which is doubtless a note of alarm, and the bird flies off to hide itself from the apprehended danger.

Bullfinches are permanent residents with us; not very plentiful in any locality. They may be found, however, in most leafy coverts, especially near fruit-gardens, to which they do much mischief by picking the buds off the trees. The gardeners call them "pick-a-buds," and wage a war of extermination against them. It should be remembered, however, that these birds are great insect destroyers, and perhaps do as much good

as harm. It is, indeed, contended by some authorities that every bud which they pick off envelopes a grub, that being the object sought for, and that alone eaten, and the vegetable covering rejected. We cannot say whether this be the case or not, but would fain give our friend Bully the benefit of the doubt.

The bullfinch's nest is sometimes found in the apple or some other fruit tree; it is usua▲ y at a considerable height from the ground. The young should be taken early, if they are to be taught to pipe or imitate the songs of other birds. Just as the tail feathers begin to appear, that is, when they are about twelve or fourteen days old, is perhaps the best time. Bolton says much younger; but we think this injudicious, for several reasons. The best food for the young bird is crumbs of white bread saturated with boiling milk, and mixed with an equal quantity of soaked and bruised rape seed. As they grow up, poppy and millet seed, sprouting lettuce and water-cresses, fruit and nuts, should be given them; they may also have, when fully grown, such food as they chiefly take when in a wild state-viz., fir and pine seeds, most berries that have kernels, buds of the beech, maple, oak, and other trees, and seeds of the nettle and any of the cruciform plants. The young males may be distinguished from the females by the red tinge on the breast; the latter can be taught to pipe, but never so easily and so well as the former, and they are never such handsome birds, being destitute of that beautiful carmine tint which gives such warmth and richness to the plumage of the cock bullfinch. Bechstein advises that the young birds should have buck-wheat grits, steeped in milk and mixed with rape seed; and while recommending for the old ones hemp and rape seed he says that they live longest if fed on the latter only, with now and then a little plain biscuit, the former being so heating as sometimes to produce blindness, and bring on atrophy. If loose in the room or aviary, they will do very well on the food given to the other birds.

Grown bullfinches are easily caught by means of limed twigs, or a common trap. In spring they readily answer to the call of the decoy bird, or even a gentle "tui! tui!" uttered by the fowler.

In autumn, wild berries will perhaps prove the most effectual balt. Birds thus caught are generally more healthy, and attain a greater age than those brought up in confinement, simply because they feed, when young, upon their natural food, and are not weakened by the bits of sugar and other delicacies usually given to feathered pets. Under any circumstances, however, this does not appear to be a long-lived bird, eight years being the maximum age attained by the captive bullfinch, which more commonly does not live beyond six. Of course there are exceptions to this as to all other rules, but they are few.

The chief maladies to which bullfinches are subjected are Constipation, Dysentery, Epilepsy, Melancholy or Dejection. In this latter state, without exhibiting any particular marks of disease, they sit apart, mope, and refuse to sing; they should then be fed exclusively on steeped rape seed, all delicacies or exciting food being avoided. Change of scene is good for them. When Moulting, they should have a rusty nail in the water, and good nourishing food, including a few ants' eggs, if they can be procured. Their other maladies may be treated in the same way as directed for the canary.

Bechstein particularizes several varieties of the bullfinch, as found in confinement:

1st. THE WHITE BULLFINCH, which is of an ashy gray colour or white, with dark spots upon the back.

2nd. THE BLACK BULLFINCH.-Old age, exclusion from the sunlight, or too much hemp seed, will frequently cause the plumage to turn wholly or partially black, especially of the female birds. With some the dusky line is prominent; others only retain it until the next moult; some have it deeper, and more unmixed than others. One is spoken of, a very handsome bird, which has the head and the breast black, the rest of the body rust colour, and the wings and tail white.

3rd. THE VARIEGATED BULLFINCH.-This may be either white spotted with black, or black spotted with ashy gray.

4th. THE BASTARD, or MULE BULLFINCH, which is the produce of a young hen of this species and a cock canary; it bears