Note 40 — NATURAL HISTORY OF CAGE BIRDS. (continued 4)

Ruhl is a large manufacturing village in Thuringia, the inhabitants of which, mostly cutlers, have such a passion for chaffinches that some have gone ninety miles from home to take with bird-lime one of these birds distinguished by its song, and have given one of their cows for a fine songster; from which has arisen their common expression, such a chaffinch is worth a cow. A common workman will give a louis d’dr (sixteen shillings) for a chaffinch he admires, and willingly live on bread and water to gain the money. An amateur cannot hear one that sings in a superior style the double trill of the Hartz without being in an ecstasy. I have heard them say that one which sings this melody perfectly certainly can converse, from its pronouncing the syllables so distinctly.—Author.