intelligible signs, made it understood that he was troubled by her absence. In the course of the day, though he had hitherto been confined to the sitting-room, and was not supposed to have further knowledge of the house, he actually made his way up stairs, discovered her chamber, and tapped at the door with his beak.

On its being opened, he flew to the bed, fluttered about in apparent exultation, perched upon her head, and exhibited his joy in her presence by every means in his power. He remained in the chamber during the day, and, what is more extraordinary, at night, instead of returning to its mate, or even selecting a perch for his accommodation, actually nestled himself upon the pillow to rest, close beside his beloved mistress. This bird was a poor singer -in fact, no singer at all. It had been brought up by a stocking-maker of Nottingham, and constantly hearing the poor man at work, had learned the disagreeable jarring sound of the machine, which it imitated most accurately.

The gentleman who afterwards possessed the bird, disliking its unpleasant note, began to teach it to sing; but, in the first place, it was requisite to break it of what it had already learned a task with which many a teacher of the young is perfectly acquainted: this he did by gently striking it with a knitting-needle, and

expressing his dislike whenever it began. But the poor bird did not live to complete its lesson; and its end was a sad one. Its master and mistress going from home, left their favourite to the care of the maid. The gentleman had a misgiving in his mind as he left the door, that the bird would suffer, and actually returned after having gone some distance, to reiterate his injunctions. Of course, the servant promised attention; but on his return his presentiment was realized: the cage was empty, and, on inquiring, he found the bird had died of neglect.

The forgetfulness thus displayed was, doubtless, criminal. Inferior creatures lay claim to care on the part of those to whom they are entrusted, or whose amusement they promote. An amiable feeling often leads the young to wish for some little pet, and for a time, perhaps, it is in danger of being killed by kindness. But when the novelty has passed away, it is, in some cases, noticed less and less, until, at length, were not some more thoughtful person to interfere, the little creature would share the fate of this bullfinch.

A school for bullfinches may sound oddly, and to speak of their education may appear equally strange; yet, what is the fact? It appears that in the month of June, the young ones, which are sought for in the nests

of wild birds, are taken when about ten days old, and brought up by a person who, by care and attention, so completely tames them, that they become perfectly docile and obedient.

At the end of about two months they first begin to whistle, from which time their education begins; and no academy can be more diligently superintended, or have pupils more effectually trained, than that of bullfinches. At first they are formed into classes of about six in each; and after having been kept a longer time than usual without food—a privation thought by children very hard to endure—and still more, confined in a dark room, the tune they are to learn is played over and over again on a little instrument called a bird-organ, the notes of which greatly resemble those of the bullfinch.

For a time, perhaps, the birds sit moping and in silence, not knowing what to make of such proceedings; but, after a while, they begin, one by one, to imitate the notes they hear. As soon as they do so, light is admitted into the room, and they are allowed a small supply of food. The sound of the organ, and the circumstance of being fed, become by degrees so associated, that the hungry bird is sure to imitate the notes as soon as they are heard. They are then given to the care of boys, whose sole business it is to carry on their education,

each one having a bird placed under his charge, who plays away as many times as the bird can attend, during which their first teacher, or feeder, goes his regular rounds, scolding or rewarding his feathered scholars by signs and modes he has taught them to understand, until the tune becomes so familiar, that they will pipe it to the end of their lives. The writer is, however, free to confess, that he prefers "the wood-note wild" to any of the strains which are thus acquired.

THE TURKEY.

THE turkey is a native of North America: there he is the herald of the morning; and his voice must convey associations similar to those produced by the crowing of the cock in this country. "I was awakened," says Bartram," in the morning early, by the cheering converse of the wild turkey-cocks saluting each other from the sun-brightened tops of the lofty cypress and magnolia. They begin at early dawn, and continue till sun-rise. The high forests ring with the noise of these social sentinels, the watchword being caught and repeated from one to another for hundreds of miles around, insomuch that the whole country is, for an hour or more, in an universal shout."

A person who has seen the turkey only in the poultryyards of this country, can have no idea of the splendour of a fine wild turkey-cock in his full plumage. Then it gleams with the brightest golden bronze, tinged, according to the position, with blue, violet, and green, and beautifully broken by the deep black bands which