They are all docile, familiar, and attractive birds.

They all build beautiful nests of mosses curiously interwoven with wool, and lined with feathers or other soft materials. This kind of nest is called a "basket nest." They are like beautiful moss baskets; but no baskets made by human hands are so curiously constructed. The materials are all woven together with a very rare skill.

The common canary bird is so generally kept and bred in the cage, that almost all are familiar with it. It is contented and happy in confinement, becomes very tame when kindly treated, and is a very fine singer.

The chaffinch is a well-known bird in Europe, living about the houses both in summer and winter. It is a gentle bird, and a great favourite with children.

The goldfinch of Europe is another of the finches well-known as a cage bird. It has always been much esteemed as a pet bird. It is easily tamed, and can readily be taught many entertaining tricks.

The American goldfinch is a different bird from that of Europe. It is very handsome, with a bright yellow body, and jet-black wings. It is easily tamed, but does not appear to be contented or happy in a cage. When confined it has only a sad and plaintive song. It loves the open fields and gardens, and delights to fly from plant to

plant, and to gather and crack the ripe seeds. It is not a little remarkable that all the finches may be taught to learn the notes of other birds, and to perform many tricks that are very surprising. We have read of a canary bird that would open its cage door with its bill. It would then fly out, place itself in a china vessel on the mantelpiece, and pretend to be bathing and washing itself; and would continue to do this till water was brought for it.

Another bird was taught to act the part of a deserter and run away, while two other birds pursued and tried to catch it. A lighted match being given to one of these birds, it would fire a small cannon, at which the deserter would fall on its side, pretending to be dead. Another bird would then come with a wheel-barrow, attached to its neck by a thread, to carry off the body for burial.

We have also read an interesting account of a family of goldfinches which had been taught to perform very wonderful tricks. One would act as if dead, and would allow itself to be held up by the tail or claw, without showing any signs of life.

Another would lie on its back with its claws in the air. A third would imitate a milk-maid going to market with a pail on each shoulder. A fourth bird would imitate a young girl looking out of a window.

A great many more very interesting and true

stories might be told of what these birds have been taught to do. There are only a very few other birds which show the same readiness to learn, and to do what they are taught.

QUESTIONS:-1. What kind of birds is among the best known? 2. Where are they found? 3. Point out these places on the map. 4. What are the most common birds of the finch kind? 5. Have you ever seen any of these? 6. Have you ever had any of them? 7. What one? 8. Tell what kind of nests they build. 9. What is the most common bird of this kind? 10. Where does the chaffinch live? 11. What kind of bird is it? 12. What one is much liked as a pet bird? 13. What can it easily be taught? 14. Tell the appearance of the American goldfinch. 15. How does it sing in the cage? 16. What is very singular about all the finches? 17. Tell the story about the canary bird. 18. Tell the story of the bird that could act the deserter. 19. What is meant by a deserter? 20. Tell what you remember of the tricks performed by a trained family of goldfinches.

en-ter-tain'-ing hand'-some read'-i-ly

at-trac'-tive

ca-na'-ry

e-steem'-ed

in-ter-wov'-en through-out'

chaf'-finch

Eu-ro-pe'-an

man'-tel-piece ves'-sel

con-fine'-ment fa-mil'-iar

ma-te'-ri-als won'-der-ful

LESSON XLV.

A Wonderful Machine.

cap'-i-tal, first rate, of great em-ploy'-ed, engaged in.

Joseph. James, I can tell you what strikes me as the most useful machine in the world.

James. Can you, Joseph? Then I should like to hear of it. What is it used for?

Joseph. Very many things. The woodman uses it in felling trees, and the sawyer in sawing timber into boards; farmers could not get along without it in ploughing, sowing, reaping, and mowing; and they tell me that thousands of these machines are used abroad in cultivating the teaplant and the sugar-cane.

James. How large are they?

Joseph. They are seldom more than eight or ten inches long; but, for all that, some of them can reach down to the bottom of a deep well, or up to the top of the church-spire.

James. I never heard of such a thing; that must be a strange machine. Is it made of wood or of iron?

Joseph. Of neither. It is formed of different materials, some hard and some soft; and it has a great many secret springs that require oiling.

James. How I should like to see one of them. What does it look like ?

Joseph. I will show you one some day; but let me describe it. It is made of twenty-seven hard pieces, most of them with springs or hinges tied together with strings in a most curious manner. It often requires cleaning, and when carried in the open air, especially in winter, is commonly kept in a leather or a woollen bag. Most people set a high value on this machine, and a good one is

worth more than two hundred and fifty pounds to its owner.

James. Two hundred and fifty pounds?

Joseph. Yes, I once knew a man who had a capital one, and he said that he would not take two thousand pounds for it, money down.

James. Why, what a machine! It must be a fortune to have one.

Joseph. Indeed it is, when put to a good use. There are more people who get their living by this machine than by any other means. If any great work is going on, it is sure to be employed. Without it they never could have made the Crystal Palace, nor any of the beautiful things it contains. Even the telegraph could not operate without its aid. And then it is quite as useful in making little things. Without it you cannot make either a good knife, a corkscrew, a peg, or even a pin. In short, it is, as I said, the most useful machine in the world.

James. The sooner you show it to me the better. Why, the carpenter's tools are nothing to it. He must be a rich man who can get one.

Joseph. That does not follow; for I once knew a man in the poor-house who had one.

James. Then it was a great shame; for he had no business in the poor-house with such a machine as that. I wish I had money enough to buy one. Joseph. You have one, and so has almost every man, woman, and child in the town. If you were

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