Four feet, wings, and fins . rhome as not, if youll only leave the door open sothey can go a-visiting when they wish. They havecompany, too, sometimes; other little goldfinchescome to see them, and hop in and out of the cageperfectly at home, Im doin to see if Mr. Dumas wont det me atage dis very day 1 exclaimed little Rose. I know the goldfinch is very teachable, I oncesaw an exhibition cf goldfinches, linnets and canarybirds. It v/as really surprising to see them aroundin silks and laces, to hear them sing, and see thempick up the boquets that were fiung to them almostv/ithout number. One al
Four feet, wings, and fins . rhome as not, if youll only leave the door open sothey can go a-visiting when they wish. They havecompany, too, sometimes; other little goldfinchescome to see them, and hop in and out of the cageperfectly at home, Im doin to see if Mr. Dumas wont det me atage dis very day 1 exclaimed little Rose. I know the goldfinch is very teachable, I oncesaw an exhibition cf goldfinches, linnets and canarybirds. It v/as really surprising to see them aroundin silks and laces, to hear them sing, and see thempick up the boquets that were fiung to them almostv/ithout number. One almost forgot they werebirds, they looked so wise and knowing while theywere warblinp* sv/eetest of notes. Goldfinches arc 210 THE BIRDS CONCERT. very sociable and like to look at themselves in amirror, not because they are vain, but because theyfancy they see other goldfinches; a fact that hasbeen proved by their taking seeds close to the glassto give to the imaginary ones. How funny! exclaimed little Rose, clapping Then, a goldfinch is almost equal to a mocking-bird in catchino[ the notes of other birds. I onceheard of a goldfinch that was even able to speak afew words. They frequently live to the age oftwenty years. They belong to the family FringillidcB 217 THE BIRDS CONCERT. and are, perhaps, the gayest-plumed of all the birdsin the temperate zones. Please, Cousin Grace, tell us something aboutthe mocking-bird. Mr. Dumas was telling me thismorning that a mocking-bird made her nest in anapple-tree close to the house, but because he justlooked into it once, she would never come near itagain. He says they are very shy. So they are. but are best known for their powerof mimicry. They can imitate the notes of anyknown bird from the screech of the eagle down tothe gentle buzz of the humming-bird. It can mewlike a cat, and make a grating noise like the creak-ing of a hinge. The Mexicans call it, The Birdof Four Hundred Tongues. They often beginwith their own compositions,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1879
