None of these little creatures, however pretty and intelligent they may be, seem to me to be such desirable pets to be kept in the house as Birds, to which the remainder of this article will be devoted. We can make them so happy, and they can tell us when anything is amiss with them so plainly - so thoroughly enjoying our petting, and becoming so attached to us - that no trouble is thrown away upon our feathered pets.

On the whole, I think canaries flourish best in imprisonment. All the English finches do well in aviaries or cages; but one does not like to see them imprisoned while their brothers and sisters are flying about at large close by - one thinks they must envy them their liberty, and long to join them; while canaries would suffer extremely exposed to the cold of winter, if, indeed, they survived it. As regards other birds - robins, wrens, titmice, sparrows, etc. - it is much pleasanter to have them visiting us from the garden than to keep them shut up all the year round; and larks and nightingales are so completely out of their natural element in cages that one cannot feel happy in keeping them. Any one who will take the trouble to feed the birds that congregate round the house in winter may soon have a family of pensioners.

The robins will become our very familiar friends - hopping about at their ease on the breakfast-table, examining every article in the room with the utmost self-possession; will visit us regularly through the cold months, and, if they leave us in spring, will bring their young ones to make our acquaintance when they leave their nests. Crumbs of bread, potatoes, and scraps of fat will make a feast for the poor little hungry birds, driven by frost and snow to our doors; and the saucy tomtits and sparrows will afford us much amusement in return for our hospitality.

We may get much insight into the special characteristics of the birds by watching them when they are at their ease, and a hard winter will sometimes make them so tame, and so accustom them to our care, that they will hover about us out of doors, and peck at the windows for admittance at their usual feeding hours.

Although I do not advocate keeping English birds in confinement as a rule, it will sometimes happen that nestlings will be thrown upon our compassion, which have either fallen out of their nest, lost their parents, or have been taken captive by village boys, and are likely to come to a miserable end if not taken care of. Under these circumstances it is as well to know how to bring them up by hand. I once had several nests to take care of, and all the young birds were reared and sent out into the world when able to take care of themselves; all but two bullfinches, which were given to a neighbour, who fed them upon hemp-seed - the consequence of which was that nearly all their feathers fell off, and they were the most miserable little objects that can be conceived, and their little red hot bodies were quite uncomfortable to touch. A course of warm baths and plenty of cooling green food, however, restored them to health and beauty, and they were returned to their owner with a warning against hemp-seed. It is said that a bullfinch fed entirely upon this heating seed will become blind.

Nestlings should be fed upon bread soaked in water, squeezed nearly dry, and chopped up finely with rape-seed which has been scalded by pouring boiling water upon it, and leaving it till quite cold. Of course this food must be made fresh every day; if it grew sour it would kill the birds at once. About four quills full of it is enough for a meal for one young bird; but they generally clamour for food till they have enough, and then settle down to sleep again. They must be fed as soon as possible in the morning after sunrise, and will require food at intervals of from one hour and three-quarters to two hours throughout the day, the last meal being given about sunset, when they must be covered up for the night. The best plan is to keep the nest in a shallow box, over which a board can be laid to darken it, otherwise the birds will be asking for food every quarter of an hour. As soon as they hear a step in the room they begin to chirp; and when the box is uncovered they will stretch out their necks, and as they grow older jump out of the nest, and fly upon the hand or shoulder in their impatience for food.

In time they will learn to feed themselves with the soft food, and by degrees to pick up and shell the seed put into their cage; for of course they must be put into a cage as soon as they are fledged sufficiently to enable them to fly. It is best to crush the hemp-seed for them at first, but they soon learn to shell the canary and rape-seed.

The linnets and greenfinches I brought up by hand were very tame, and although I left seed and water always within their reach, I accustomed them to be fed by me, and kept any food of which they were particularly fond - hemp-seed, plantain, or chickweed, for instance, which ail birds love - to be given them as dainties; so they always expected something-nice from me, and would fly out of their cages and all round the room in their joy as soon as I opened the doors, returning to perch on my hand, shoulder, or head when they wanted their food. The greenfinches were very bold birds, and as familiar as possible with me. They were great eaters, and very eager for their favourite food, so they alway welcomed me very heartily; but I did not prize their affection so much as I did that of the linnets, which were naturally more shy and retiring, and required more courting and petting. They are very nice pets, and become very much attached to their owner, and their song is very sweet; but if kept in confinement they never acquire the red poll and breast which ought to distinguish the male bird in full plumage. They are fond of flax or linseed, but they must not have much of it, or they will grow very fat. Canary and rape-seed should be the principal food both of linnets and greenfinches.

As soon as my four green nestlings were full grown I let them fly out of the window, but for a long time they used to come back to the cage for food,and sometimes would roost there during the night; however, at last they found companions of their own kind in the woods and fields, who gradually weaned them from us.