Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
Gddnnches, and How to Train Them.

The goldfinch is one of the most in
seresting of bird pets. 1t is a native OF
Europe, but large numbers are brought
to this country, and may be purchased
from any ~bird-fancier. 1t is constantly
in motion. and its song, though not
powerful, is remarkably sweet. Besides
this, it is q hardy little creature, is cas-
lily tanned, and soon becomes accls.
toned to the hand that feeds it.
The favorite food of the goldfncb
when wild is thistle seed, but he NAV bs
fed on the ordinary seeds used TO.
birds, and. as a special treat, the seed.
pods of the common groundsel may be
given to him. AS a cage-bird the gold.
finch stands in the first rank. He should
have a roomy habitation wherein he car
disport himself, and, if properly man.
aged, be allowed to fly out now anc
then to stretch his wings. In a yer,
little while he will display no alarm
but will hop about the table in search
OF any food which may take his fancy
A goldinch may be trained to q vs.
ricty of tricks. Among others, he will
pull up a little bucket of water from .
tiny well, or draw up a slope to within
his reach a small cart containing seed
These interesting performances ma
be taught as follows: The little car
which runs upon the inclined strip q
wood has a string attached to it, and III.
little water-bucket is in like manner s,f10
pended from the perch, and rests in txIs
miniature well below. To teach the
tricks quickly there should be another
and a longer string fastened to the cart,
and held by a person some distance off
and out of sight. When the bird is dis
posed to eat, the cart should be steadily
drawn up toward him, and when he has
taken a few seeds it shonM be lowered
away little, whereupon he will try
with his feet to, hold the string, and to
pull up the cart a little higher, until at
last he will use his beak and feet to-
gether, and become master OF the trick.
With the water-bucket d similar course
is taken, but where one does not wish
to devote so much time to the teaching,
the little cart can be fastened at first
within reach, containing but u few seeds.
Then it can be moved a little farther off,
a few more grains being put in, and so
on. The ia SIX is thus left mainly to the
bird, who moves the cart nearer and
nearer, until he has accustomed himself
to draw it up.
Some persons keep goldtinches on
perches chained to one of the supports
by the leg. This is cruelty, and can not
be approved Of. 1t is not unusual to see
this bird upon a perch fixed to a board
to which the little seed cart is drawn
from an incline near by; but we consid-
er this a bad arrangement, because the
little fellow has what is commonly
called a brace around hi; body, which
is sc fixed that he is abb only to hop
down from the perch to the board to
come to the string by which he pulls up
his tiny cart; and in addition to this,
the brace must produce considerable ir-
ritation. The same object can be &C.
complished, as already described, with
in a cage, where the bird las freedom
of action.
The goldfinch, in a natural state,
builds one of the most gr.ceful and
beautiful nests known. It is generally
constructed on the fork of SINE high
branch, and is swayed hither and thith-
er by the wind, or the birds motions, so
that the young birds are accustomed to
the rocking and swinging. 1t matters
not to our little friend whether he is on
his head or his heels. When in search
of food he clings to the thistle stms,
pecking away at the downy seed till
disturbed or satisfied, and then dart, off
with a merry twitter. To initiate the
natural motion of the branches tlcre
should be a swing in every cage Which
the weight of the bird will move, &c as
to produce the swaying motion.-Iar-
per's Young People.