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Sokg-Tjieush.—p. 117
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS
HOW TO
CATCH, KEEP, BREED, AND REAR THEM
WITH FULL DIRECTIONS AS TO
THEIR NATURE, HABITS, FOOD, DISEASES,
ETC. ETC.
BY H. G. ADAMS
AUTHOR OF "FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS," ETC. ETC.
2Mtf) lUu£trsttau£
LONDON
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS
THE BROADWAY, LUDGATE
NEW YORK : 416 BROOME STREET
WTMAN AND SONS, PRINTERS,
G-REAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS,
LONDON, "W.C.
PREFACE.
There are few persons who have not, at some period or
other of their lives, nourished and cherished a feathered
eet. Very many there are who delight to have one or
more of these sweet denizens of the fields and woodlands
•constantly about them, either to gratify their sense of hearing
with melodious song, or that of sight, with grace of form
and motion, or richness and harmony of tints delicately
b.lendea, or strikingly contrasted. "Whether it be to amuse
the vacant hour by an observation of the pretty tricks and
endearing familiarities of the little prisoners; to instruct the
inquiring mind by a study of the manners and habits of
this interesting division of animated nature; or to satisfy
that craving after something to live and care for, whicL
ever possesses the human mind—in either case it may
Well be presumed that a manual like this, affording every
Jkind of information which may be required for the proper
management, whether in health or sickness, of Cage and
Singing Birds, cannot be other than useful and acceptable
In its compilation the most recent as well as the best
established authorities have been consulted, and a large
JV FHKFACB.
amount of practical experience brought to bear upon the
•subject, so as to render it as complete and correct as possible.
Tbe information contained in the more bulky and ex¬
pensive works of Bechstein, Sweet, Kidd, and other autho¬
rities, is here presented in a condensed and available form
jy one who is himself so great a lover of birds, that In
gladly avails himself of this, and every opportunity, of con¬
tributing to that kind of knowledge which may tend tc
render their state of captivity as agreeable to themselves,
and as ministrative of pleasure to their possessors, a'
mav oa.
CONTENTS.
SECTION I.
INTRODUCTORY,
Page
Modes of Capture 1
Habitations . 6
rood H
Breeding and Rearing ..
Teaching and Training .,
Diseases
Pugs
20
22
SECTION II.
OfARBLBRS 33
Nightingale 33
Blackcap 39
Fauvette or Pettichap .. 41
Whitetbroat .......... 42
Babillard..... 43
Arbour Bird 44
Whinchat 45
Stonechat 47
Wheatear
48
Dartford Warbler 49
Grasshopper Warbler . • 49
Sedge Warbler SO
Reed Warbler 51
Willow Warbler 52
Warblebs—continued.
Wood Warbler 53
Common Wren 54
Golden Crested Wren .. 56
Redbreast 57
Larks and Pipgts 58
Skylark 59
Woodlark CI
Titlark 63
Tits 64
Ox-Eye 64
Cole-Tit 66
Blue Tit 61
T ra—continued.
Marsh, Crested, and
Bearded Tits 66
Long-tailed Tit 67
Foreign Buntings 67
Dominican Bunting ...,, 67
Indigo Bunting 67
Painted Bunting 68
Shaft-tailed Bunting.... 69
Whidah Bunting ...... 69
Finches 70
Goldfinch 70
Siskin 72
Chaffinch 73
Greenfinch 77
Hawfinch 78
Bullfinch 79
Foreign Finches ...... 82
Canary 82
Glossy Finch 103
Purple Finch 103
American Goldfinch .... 103
Brazilian Finch 104
Blue-bellied Finch 104
Green Goldfinch 105
Angola Finch 105
Liver-coloured Finch.... 105
Linnets 106
Brown, Gray, Yellow, or
Rose Linnet 106
Lesser Redpole 108
Mealy and Mountain
Linnets 109
Grosbeaks 109
Pine Grosbeak 109
Cardinal Grosbeak .... 110
l
Grosbeaks—continued.
Waxbill Ill
Amandava Ill
Paradise Grosbeak...... 112
Grenadier Grosbeak .... 112
Dominican Grosbeak, ... 112
Cape Grosbeak 112
Caffrarian Grosbeak .... 113
Blue Grosbeak ........ 113
Azure Grosbeak 113
Yellow-bellied Grosbeak . 114
Gowrey Grosbeak 114
Banded Grosbeak 114
Brown-cheeked Grosbeak 115
Malacca Grosbeak...... 115
Clouded Grosbeak 116
Red-billed Grosbeak.... 116
Thrushes..... 116
Common Thrush 117
Missel Thrush 118
Blackbird 119
Ring Ouzel 120
Water Ouzel 120
Golden Oriole 121
Crows, &c 122
Raven 122
Jackdaw 123
Magpie 124
Jay 125
Starling 125
Parrots 126
Red and Blue Macaw .. 128
Blue and Yellow Macaw . 128
Great Green Macaw .... 129
Illinois Parrot ........ 130
Ash-coloured Parrot .. 130
Amazon Parrot 131
Yellow - headed Amazon
Parrot 131
i
CONTBWTS.
vn
P 4B&OTS—continued.
Carolina Parrot 131
kmboyna Parrot 132
White-fronted Parrot .. 132
Blue-faced Parrot ...... 132
Blue-headed Parrot .... 133
Angola Yellow Parrot .. 133
Moreton Bay Parrot .... 133
Gray-breasted Parrot .. 134
Blue-throated Parrot.... 134
Green Trinidad Parrot .. 134
Long - tailed Green Par-
rakeet 134
Pavouane Parrakeet .... 135
Red and Blue - headed
Parrakeet 135
Cardinal Parrakeet 135
Red-headed Guinea Par¬
rakeet 136
Rose-ringed Parrakeet .. 137
Pannaat's Psrr «eet .... 137
Parrots—continued.
Two-spotted Parrakeet.. 137
Lunated Parrakeet 138
Little Blue and Green
Parrakeet 138
Australian Ground Par-
rakeets 133
Ceram, or Variegated
Lory 139
Purple-capped Lory .... 139
Black-Capped Lory .... 140
Shell Lory 140
Great White Cockatoo .. 140
Lesser White Cockatoo .. 141
Great Red - crested
Cockatoo 141
Red-vented Cockatoo .. 141
Banksian Cockatoo 142
General Treatment of
Parrots
i Diseases ♦... - 143
ILLUSTRATIONS.
fhe Nightingale.
The Blackcap.
The Pettichap.
The Whitethroat.
The Wheatear.
The Dartford Warble?
The Grasshopper Warblei.
The Wren.
The Golden-crested Wren.
The Redbreast.
8ky!»rl<,
The Titlark.
The Blue Tit.
The Long-tailed TSfc
The Bunting
The Greenfinch.
The Canary.
The Linnet.
The Grosbeak.
The Song Thrash.
The Blackbird.
The Golden OiM*
CAGE AN"]) SINGING BIRDS
SECTION I.—INTRODUCTORY
modes of capture.
a high although somewhat antiquated authority in culinary
matters has said, that you must catch a hare before you can
skin it; and the universal recognition of this axiom induces ue
to believe that we shall not be considered out of order, if we pro»
ceed first to consider how to catch birds, for caught they must
certainly be, before they are kept. Let it not for a moment be
supposed that, while conveying these instructions, we are ad¬
vocating the indiscriminate capture of the feathered songsters.
By no means! In order to stand right with our readers, we
would at once and emphatically observe, that we consider it;
cruel and unjustifiable to resort to any contrivance for taking;
them, unless some better end than mere amusement is to b«)
answered. The man who goes out with nets, and snares, and.
bird-lime, to plot against the liberty of the free wild creatures,,
to whom motion and singing is a delight unspeakable, and
does this for the sake of pastime, is upon a par with him
who sallies forth with a gun on his arm to pop at any and
every thing, and call it " sport" : they are arcades ambo,
and fully entitled to Byron's definition of the term.
The most primitive and inartistic mode of bird-catching x
that which is familiar to our school-boy days: four bricks
end a Diece of stick is all the apparatus necessary to form 2
b
5?
cage and singing birds.
trap, into which many a robin redbreast, a cock sparrow, a
jenny wren, or other of our familiar winter birds, has been
lured by the crumbs of bread scattered at the bottom, to the
huge delight of the expectant urchiD, who rashes to seize the
prize, and in his eagerness most likely lets it escape, or does
it some mortal injury. Let us observe here, by the way,
that we have no faith in the classical expedient of putting
salt on the tail of a bird to effect its capture; we consider
♦his altogether as a " popular fallacy," and reject it accord¬
ingly. And now, having premised thus much, we will pro¬
ceed to discuss the various methods of bird-catching practised
by those who do it professionally, and as a means of living.
Let it be understood that our directions here have only a
general application: under the head of each distinct species
will be mentioned the modes of capture best adapted
for it.
Limed Twigs.—No method is perhaps so commonly em¬
ployed as this for the taking of birds, especially of the smaller
kinds, and those which resort most to the coppice and the
leafy woodland. It is, however, a cruel method, and should
not be practised in cases where any other will answer; for
the plumage of the bird, in its struggles to escape, becomes
smeared all over with the lime, and so stuck together that it
can scarcely move, and in this state it remains for a long
time, never quite getting rid of the annoyance until it has
moulted.
The mode of procedure is to procure from a druggist,
«»r grocer, some of that viscid substance called bird-lime,
which is prepared from the inner bark of the holly, or the
berries of the misletoe. This is smeared over the smaller
branches or twigs of the trees or bushes, amid which the birds
you desire to capture are known to build or perch; when
they alighc on these limed twigs, their feet adhere to them,
or their wings become glued together by the lime, so that
they cannot expand them; they begin to struggle, and
the more they do this, the more helpless do they become;
in this state they are easily taken, and a deplorable state
it is.
In the forests of Thuringia, in Germany, where bird-catch¬
ing, breeding, and training, are much practised, decoy bushes
ire often used. These are formed of strong branches of oak
cage and singing birds.
3
or beech, which are cleared of leaves to within a foot or so 01
the summit j the upper twigs projecting from them are then
split, and in the openings limed rods are inserted. The
bushes so prepared are stuck into the ground in some ele
vated spot, over which the desired birds usually pass in the
course of their migration; and it is curious to remark, saya
Bechstein, how closely the migratory birds generally keep
to a determinate line or path, if one may so speak. Beneath
these bushes are placed cages, tenanted by decoy birds, and
covered with fir branches, so that neither the occupants nor
the passing migrants can see each other j the latter, attracted
by the call notes of the former, alight among the limed twigs,
from which they are unable to extricate themselves, and so
are taken. On elevations adjoining valleys these bushes are
most advantageously placed; as, in hilly districts, the birds,
in migrating, generally follow the course of a valley. It is
best to have for decoy birds those which have been captured
when grown up, as those reared from the nest have not the
natural call note so perfect as the others, and frequently
utter acquired notes, which are strange and scaring to the
wild birds.
The best time for employing this mode of capture is in the
months of March and April, when the migratory songsters are
coming in from their southern wintering places; they are
then eager for pairing, and easily attracted by the call-
notes of the decoys, which should be females. The early
part of the day, too, that is, from the dawning until nine
o'clock, should be chosen, for after the latter hour the birds
are so fully engaged seeking for food, that they **dll rarely
listen to the calls, In the annual migrations of many of the
best songsters it has been observed that the males and females
arrive in separate flocks, the former a few days in advance of
:he latter, therefore such bird-catchers as are earliest in the
field are the most likely to secure male birds.
There are several other ways of using the limed twigs,
which will naturally suggest themselves to the mind, and
therefore need not be described.
The Water Trap.—From some secluded spring «r
woodland stream, where birds resort to drink, dig a narrow
channel into which a portion of the water can flow, and over
this, uoon half hoops, or bent boughs, resting upon sticks
4
cage and singing birds.
about an inch thick, stuck into the sides, and nearly level with
the water, spread a net sufficiently large to cover the whole,
leaving an opening" at the near end by which the birds can
enter, but which, by means of a string attached, can be closed
at pleasure; you have then only to hide yourself :n some
neighbouring covert, with the end of the string in your hand,
and sit quiet for awhile; the perches beneath the net will
soon be occupied by all sorts of birds, drinking, and bathing,
and enjoying themselves mightily; you can enclose them
whenever you please, and secure such as you require, setting
the rest at liberty.
This is one of the easiest and pleasantest methods of
making valuable captures; it may be practised from July
to October with the greatest success, for at that part of
the year shade and water are most frequently sought by
the birds; early in the morning, and in the evening just after
sunset, are the best times of day. The most advantageous
place for setting up a trap of this kind, is a wood bordering
on which are meadows, and cultivated grounds, as to such a
spot will resort not only the forest birds, but also those which
haunt the fields and gardens. When the captives are secured,
the tamer sorts, such as goldfinches, siskins, and linnets,
should be put into small folding cages, which can be carried
in the pocket until wanted; those more wild and shy, like
nightingales, larks, bullfinches, must be placed singly in bags
made of linen, and lined with flannel so that they cannot
injure themselves in their struggles to escape. When brought
home they should be placed in muffled cages, and have light
admitted to them only by degrees.
The Gin, or Snare, may be used with most success in
the Autumn: it is chiefly employed to capture those birds*
which feed upon berries, such as thrushes, robins, &c. It
consists of nooses and springes, the former being intended to
catch birds by the neck, the latter by the feet; these are
made of thread, yarn, or horsehair, the last material being by
far the best, on account of its strength arid elasticity, which
is not affected by wet. Bechstein describes three kinds of
nooses employed by the German bird-catchers: 1st, Mind
Nooses, being the rind of a tree stripped off in July, and
plaited into a threefold band, five or six inches long; into
this are inserted three loops, each consisting of five or six
CAGE AND SINUING BIRDS.
horse-hairs twisted together with a knot at the end, which
fastens it to the rind band, while the loop hangs down. A
small branch of a tree, from which projects at right angles a
little stem, is generally chosen for this kind of snare ; the
bait of service or other berries is placed conspicuously behind
the horsehair loops, in which the necks of the birds are
caught when they attempt to take the fruit.
2nd, Twig Nooses.—To construct one of these take a
tough rod or willow, make two holes or slits in the stem or
upright branch of a tree about four inches apart, and into
these thrust the ends of the rod, which should be of sufficient
length to form a kind of half oval projecting about six inches
from the tree; two or three horsehair nooses are inserted in
the upper side of this, so that they hang down and nearly
touch the lower side where the bait is placed.
3rd, The Hanging Gin is a rod bent into a triangular
form, and hung by the apex to some tree or shrub; it
should be about six inches wide at the bottom where
the berries are placed, and have a horsehair noose from
each of the sides, which may be eighteen inches long or
more; this is sometimes called the Noose Perch, and does
not appear to be a very successful snare, as birds frequently
get the berries without being caught. The German natural¬
ist recommends instead of it what he calls the Entire Twig
Gin, formed of a willow rod, cracked at about eight inches
from the thickest end to form the base, the rest of the rod to
be bent over, until its smaller termination meets the thick end,
into which, by means of a slit, it is inserted, forming a figure
something like an old Saxon doorway in a cathedral, with a
semi-circular top, by which it is suspended to a free; the
nooses are to project inwards, one from the centre of the
arch of the bent twig, and one from each side, so as com¬
pletely to enclose the berries resting on the straight bottom
piece.
Great care must be taken in setting these gins that the
hair nooses are not bent or twisted out of the proper curve, ana
in order to ensure this they should be dipped frequently in
boiling water whilst being plaited; it is* necessary to be
careful, too, that the nooses are uniform m size, and fit each
other, so that vacant spaces are not left for the bird to escape
throuerb
6
cage and singing birds
Of Springes, Bechstein describes two sorts, as preferable
to all others : 1st, True Springes, formed of a hazel or willow
rod, in the thick end of which a notch is first cut, and a hole
bored, through which is passed a horsehair or strong thread
attached to the thinner ends; in setting the springe the string
is drawn about eighteen inches through the hole, into which
a peg is then put somewhat lightly, and the string is pre¬
vented slipping back by a knot tied in it; hang tins to a
thick twig or branch of a tree in such a way that it cannot
oscillate with the wind, and bait it with service berries if you
wish to catch large birds, with elder berries if small; when
the bird steps on the springe to seize these, it loosens the
peg, the rod flies back, and draws the string tight, in which
its legs are entangled.
2nd, The Up Springe is the same as the last in
principle of action, but the construction is different, being
in two distinct pieces, one an upright piece stuck into
or growing out of the ground, and the other, which acts
as the snapper or spring, is a twig bent down from a
neighbouring tree; to this the string is fixed, which is
drawn tight and slightly secured by a peg, as before de¬
scribed : this is the kind of springe most commonly used in
Thuringia.
The hair nooses may be kept in serviceable order for several
years if, when done with for the time, they are carefully wiped,
untied, and hung up lengthways, or folded in a large circle.
Thread nooses frequently become limp and useless in wet
weather; it is then advisable to place a blade of grass
between the folds, which keeps them sufficiently open.
Nooses of horsehair, or thread, are sometimes hung from
the trees or bushes near the ground, in thickets where birds
are known to resort, and placed in various positions affording
the chance of a capture.
Nets are also used in bird-catching, and other contrivances
resorted to, which we need not specify, being, as the auc¬
tioneers say, " too numerous to mention."
habitations.
The first consideration after one has obtained, by capture
or otnerwise. what is henceforward to be a feathered pet, is
bow and where to keep it—what kind of a dwelling will best
Titiark.— p. a
OAOE AND SINGING BIRDS.
7
tonduce to its healtli and happiness ? And as this will de¬
pend very much upon the particular species of bird in ques:
■ion, a few general rules are all that we can here lay
iown.
First, let us impress upon our readers the necessity for
|Manliness and attention to the wants and comforts of the
little prisoners. If birds are kept in a state of confinement,
'which is not natural to them, it should ever be borne in mind
that they are so for the pleasure or profit of those who' keep
them, and with whom it ought to be a matter of duty to see
that they are properly cared for, and rendered as comfortable
is circumstances will admit. It very commonly happens
hat domestic pets come to an untimely end, and with birds
'specially is this the case; and how can we account for this,
•therwise than by the supposition, that there has been great
legligence somewhere? Birds are not naturally tender and
lehcate creatures, but cage birds generally are so, their
artificial mode of life renders them highly susceptible of all
atmospheric changes, and liable to diseases with which in
their wild state they are never attacked, or if so, their in¬
stinct teaches them where to resort for the necessary reme¬
dies. How cruel is it, then, if you doom them to confine¬
ment, to devote them also to suffering, and probably deatb„
because you will not take the pains to minister to their wants,
and protect them from the various casualties which endanger
their prison life.
The practice of leaving cage birds to the care of servants
cannot be too strongly reprehended; by these they are ge¬
nerally considered as a trouble and a nuisance, and their
destruction, if it be not hastened, is seldom guarded against,
for " the sooner they are out of the way the better." Let
the lady feed and tend her pet canary, or other sweet
songster, herself regularly; ay, let her clean out its cage,
too, or, at least, see that it is dene, and so repay in some
slight degree the debt of gratitude which she owes the bird,
kept a prisoner for her gratification.
These remarks have been forced from us by a keen sense
of the wrongs and injuries to which our feathered friends are
constantly subjected, arising from an observation of the vast
amount of unnecessary suffering entailed upon them by care¬
lessness more than heartlessness. We are persuaded that
8
GAGE AND SINGING BIROS.
many of the tears which have been shed over dead birds,
have proceeded as much from contrition for neglect, as from
sorrow for the loss sustained; and our fair readers will, we
trust, pardon us if we remind them, in the words of Thomas
Hood, that—
" Evil is wrought by want of thought,
As much as by want of heart."
We have here alluded to the cleaning of cages, and may,
therefore, as well dispose of that part of our subject at once.
If you keep but one bird in a cage in very hot weather, it is
best to perform this operation every day; do it carefully
and gently, taking out the sliding bottom which all cages
should have, removing the dirt, washing it if necessary,
drying it by the fire, or in the sun, and then replacing it
sprinkled with clean river sand, which, under the name of
bird sand, may be bought of grocers, oilmen, or dealers in
birds. Your frequent ministrations to its comforts, if gently
performed, will attach the songster more closely to you, and
render it extremely familiar. If you reside in the country,
and cannot easily procure the sand above described, some
taken from the bed of a river and dried, or even fine loamy
earth, will do; it is not only useful to absorb moisture in the
bottom of the cage, but also to aid digestion, for which purpose
the bird instinctively swallows a portion, hence the necessity
for being careful that no marine sand is used, as the saline
particles would be prejudicial to the bird.
Where a number of birds are kept, let the cages and
perches of such as feed on insects or fruit be cleansed, at
least, every other day. Of this kind are blackbirds, thrushes,
robins, nightingales, and what are generally called the soffc-
billed birds. Canaries, finches, and otners which feed chiefly
on seeds, need not be disturbed above twice a week. It is of
great importance to see that the perches are kept clean, as
■ therwise the feet of the birds which rest on them will he¬
me affected with gout, and other maladies, terminating m
1 ss of the toes and permanent lameness, if not in death.
1 ven in birds of the same genus, there is often a great
• fference in respect to cleanliness of habit; some soil their
• "S and plumage much more than others, and, making no
^•ibrt to ciean them, reauire to be freauently washed; this is
UAUi» A &1AU1NG BIKife.
very much the case with the larks and warblers; the
buntings, finches, and thrushes, have not this fault. Some
birds thrive best in a room fitted up for their especial use,
having young fir-trees placed about it, especially in the
corners, or evergeeen branches of some kind j they should be
cut for this purpose not later than March, before the sap
rises, otherwise they will cast their leaves. Generally
speaking, birds do not sing so well at large in this way as in
small cages, where they have nothing to occupy their atten¬
tion but their song. More will be found about the bird-
room under the head of " Canaries."
Of Wooden Cages, those are decidedly the best which
are made of mahogany, as they are less likely to harbour
insects than any other. If fir or any soft wood is the
material, it should invariably have two or three coats of
paint over it; green is the best colour. The wires of a cage
should never be painted, as, the metal being non-absorbent,
the colour will generally loosen and peel off after a time, and
being swallowed by the bird, will cause its death. In the
Zollverein department of the Great Exhibition there were
some cages of a novel construction, being made of japanned
zinc: these appeared to us in every respect very superior to
wooden cages, being easily cleaned, and light and elegant in
appearance. The projecting bottoms have a rim or ledge
round them, which keeps the dirt and seeds thrown out by
the bird from making a litter; they are simply fastened to
the upper part by hooks, or catches, and so are easily re¬
moved for the purpose of being cleaned. There are places
in London where these cages can now be obtained, and we
would recommend them to all who study the health and
comfort of their feathered captives. They are, perhaps, a
little more expensive than other kinds of cages, but their
durability renders them economical in the end. We do not
in general admire the gaily painted and gilded prisons in
which birds are frequently kept, because it too often happens
that the comfort of the inmate is sacrificed for the sake of
show; still we have seen some very pretty things of this
kind, to which no objection could be made.
Most commonly the sides of cages are too open. A bird,
however tame and familiar, likes to have a snug corner or
other sheltered jjiace, to which it can occasionally retire, and
10
CAGE Alfl) SINGING BIRDS.
shun observation. The practice of banging larks and othel
birds out at a window in a small cage open on all sides, and
so fully exposed alike to the burning rays of the sun and the
chilling winds, cannot be too strongly reprehended. Great
suffering must be at times endured by the little prisoners,
whose exposure, when in a wild state, to the atmospheric
influences, is counteracted by the exercise of limb and
muscle, which it is unable to take in the cage; this, there¬
fore, should always be covered at the top when the sun is
shining very brightly, and muffled at the side on which the
wind sets with green baize, or other thick material, in dull
and gusty weather. In wet weather the cage should not be
put out at all, except now and then during a gentle
summer shower, which is likely to be succeeded by sun¬
shine.
Among the materials for bird cages we have heard glass
suggested, and we see not why it should not be employed
with advantage. Most ladies like to see their feathered pets,
and how delightful to have them in a miniature crystal
palace, where their every motion could be watched ! The
material is capable of being wrought into such beautiful
forms and combinations, and is so cheap; surely the idea,
in this age of art-manufactures, is worthy of a practical
application. For young birds, which are apt to hurt them¬
selves against the wires by frisking and sporting about, a
Net Cage should be provided. This can easily be made of
an old common cage out of which the wires have been taken,
and a covering of fine net substituted.
"What are called School Cages are sometimes used for a
number of birds. These are boxes, having a wire front, and
solid back and sides, divided into a number of compart¬
ments, each of which is tenanted by a single bird, to which
access may be obtained by means of a little door at the back
of its dormitory. There may be several tiers of these apart¬
ments, and a single sliding bottom and feeding trough does
for each tier, going through the whole length : thus, where
it is desirable to economize space, they may rise one above
another like a nest of drawers, and form a sort of bird-
barracks. A single preceptor, a good lark or nightingale,
may be the drill sergeant for the whole company of occupants,
however numerous; the little pupils, not being able to sea
cage and singing birds.
11
each other, will be all the more likely to give due attention
to the music lessons.
A Store Cage, with wooden back and sides, wire front,,
and cloth or calico top, made about two feet long, and six
'jaches high and wide, will be found useful to put newly
caught birds into : having no height to fly. they cannot well
hurt themselves.
the aviary.
This snould be a building erected expressly for the pur-
Eose, and fitted with a stove and pipes for conveying the
eated air through every part of it, so as to keep up an even
temperature through the most inclement weather. The best
materials for its construction are iron and glass, resting on a
basement of brick or stone: the recent application of the two
former of these materials to hot-houses, conservatories, and
other structures of combined use and ornament, proves their
perfect applicability to this purpose. The best kind of floor
is, perhaps, an earthen one, beaten hard, like the floors of
some barns; bricks are too cold. Planks would do very well
if care is taken to keep them sweet and clean, so that they
Could not harbour insects nor retain disagreeable smells:
one disadvantage attending the use of a wooden floor is that
it is likely to form a covert for rats and mice. The roof of
the aviary should be semicircular, or shelving, with vines or
flowering creepers trailing over it, so that there shall be a rustle
of green leaves steeped in sunshine, and air laden with sweet
perfume, to delight the birds within. The building should
face to the south or south-west, and open upon a green lawn,
shrubbery, or garden. Within, around the sides and up the
centre, should be dwarf shrubs and creepers for the birds to
nest and build in. Perches and little wicker baskets, with
horsehair, wool, and other building materials, should be
placed at various altitudes; and if there could be a small
fountain playing in the centre, with a basin for the songsters
to bathe and drink at, the water of which would be con •
etantly changed and fresh, we should have a perfect
home of song, an abiding place of beauty, love, and happi¬
ness ! This, our beau ideal of an aviary, could not be ac¬
complished but by wealthy bird-fanciers, and we set it up as
12
CAGE AND SINGING UIHllb.
a standard of excellence to be imitated as closely as circum¬
stances will admit.
Kidd recommends that an aviary should consist of twc
divisions, an inner and outer ; into the former of which shall b<
put, as the winter approaches, the insectiverous or soft-hilled
birds, which are more tender and susceptible of cold than thi
graniverous or hard-billed. The warblers are all insectiverous
birds, and require great care and attention during the cold
weather, not only with regard to the temperature in which
they are kept, but also as to diet, of which we shall have to
speak more at large under its proper head. The authority
last alluded to wages uncompromising war against what he
calls "mechanical aviaries;" that is, certain spaces fitted
with ornaments and cunning devices, such as wind and water
mills, cottages, &c., with a view to picturesque effect, to
heighten which song birds are introduced. We, too, would
enter our protest against these puerile contrivances. Make
an aviary as pretty as you will, but let the ornaments be
really natural; introduce a little rock work, with mosses and
lichens, in whose tiny cups the spray of the fountains may
glitter; let the eye be deluded by optical deceptions which
increase the apparent size of the structure, and double the
number of its inhabitants; but do not shut up your sweet
songsters in a picture box, where all is artifice, and contrary
to their nature and inclinations. In Kidd's Own Journal *
will be found very minute directions for constructing an
aviary. Many of these directions are no doubt good, but
as a whole, the affair seems to us too ponderous and expen¬
sive ; and it is scarcely recommended as a model by the un¬
fortunate termination of his experiment, viz., the destruc¬
tion of nearly all his songsters by rats, which, with cats, are
the greatest enemies to he guarded against. A layer of
rough shingle beneath the flooring, whether it be of earth or
boards, or tiles, as in Kidd's aviary, has been recommended
as effectually preventing the former of these four-footed in¬
truders from effecting an entrance by burrowing; and if
stone, iron, and glass, be employed for the frame of the
building, there is no other way by which they could get in.
If it should be thought desirable to cover the glass at
* Nos. 44, 40, 48, 50, 52.
CAGE AND SINOING BIRDS.
night, and thus give additional security to the birds, sliding
shutters of wood might be fitted to the interior, and
drawn backwards and forwards at pleasure. Spaces like
windows should be left free from glass, and covered only
with a network of wire, through which the captives could
communicate with their friends at liberty, for whose accom¬
modation a ledge should be fixed outside the window. The
removal of the warblers into the inner and warmer compart¬
ment should generally take place in August, shortly before
the period of migration, at which time the majority of birds
in confinement manifest an extraordinary degree of agitation,
frequently stretching their wings and endeavouring to soar
upward, and sometimes killing themselves in their efforts
to effect their escape. It is best, then, to keep them in
cages darkened and muffled, so that they cannot hurt them¬
selves
So exceedingly sensitive are the lungs of the feathered song¬
sters, that a very slight impurity of the air, especially when the
temperature is at all varied, will suffice to cause them great
uneasiness, if not actual stoppage of the respiratory organs;
therefore it is not safe to introduce into the aviary any close
stove from which carbonic acid or other noxious gas could
arise. It is best to have the warm air conducted in pipes
from some adjoining building, where there is an open stove.
Great care should be taken, too, in sweeping or cleansing to
avoid raising much dust, and to exclude damp and fog, espe¬
cially from the warblers. Kidd recommends that the foun¬
tain should be of zinc, about eighteen inches in circumference,
with a turn-over top, and sides gradually shelving downwards
to the depth of about four inches, with a pipe to carry off
the waste and foul water below, and one leading from a
cistern above to supply the fresh, so that the birds can stand
under it on pieces of coral, stone, or crystal rock, and per¬
form their ablutions, which they do with great regularity and
apparent pleasure. This authority also directs that the
hoppers or food troughs shall be made of mahogany, on the
principle of a rack, having a moveable slide of transparent
glass in front, and a lid with hinges at the top. All along
the front of these hoppers there must be a projecting ledge
or rail, on which the birds sit while feeding, and underneath
round holes through t^ey put their heads to obtain
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
the seed. As the latter is cracked and eaten, the hulls fall
to the ground, and a fresh supply descends from above, the
apparatus being self-supplying. Four of these hoppers are
to be suspended on the wall, between and on each side of
looking-glasses, recommended to be fastened to the back of
the aviary. They should be regularly emptied and cleaned
out twice every month, as a quantity of dust is apt to collect
in them: if' kept half filled only, waste is not so likely to
occur as otherwise.
The pans for the food of the soft-billed birds must be kept
always on the ground; they should be made of glass or
china, and be of a square form. The floor of the aviary
should be cleaned daily, and always kept supplied with sand,
small gravel, and old mortar well dried and bruised.
FOOD.
Of course, in selecting and preparing the food of cage
birds, their natural habits must be studied as far as possible,
and the great difference which prevails in these renders it
impossible that any one form of prescribed diet would be
applicable to all. Nevertheless, as these birds are divisible
into certain classes distinguished by the kind of substances
on which they feed, and as all bird-nature is to a certain
extent alike, a few general rules upon this subject may be
well and safely laid down.
And first, let us observe, that it is sometimes extremely diffi¬
cult to get newly-captured birds to eat at all, partly because
that which is offered to them is not quite what they have been
accustomed to, and partly, no doubt, on account of grief at
their loss of liberty, and fear arising out of the strange
scenes and circumstances amid which they find themselves.
They will not unfrequently refuse to take any nourishmem,
and will inevitably pine and die if some means are not taken
to induce them to eat. Dr. Meyer, of Offenbach, com¬
municated to Bechstein the following mode of getting over
this difficulty. Place the bird in the cage in which it is in¬
tended to keep it, with plenty of the proper food and drink
in open vessels; let it ^emain undisturbed for several hours;
then catch it, and immerse it in fresh water; after which, place
it back in the cage, and again leave it for awhile. The ma-
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
ployment of pruning its wings and setting its feathers
straight, will divert its attention from the great grief of cao-
tivity, and its appetite being sharpened by the bath, there is
little doubt that the bird will soon take freely of what is set
before it, and become cheerful and animated. Those birds
that at first creep into a corner and sulk and refuse their
food, are most likely to do well afterwards; those which eat
greedily at once of the artificial food, frequently die from the
effect of the sudden change of diet, or else the unnatural
indifference to the loss of liberty implies that they have some
disease which impels them to eat.
Bechstein furnishes us with a rough kind of classification
for dietary purposes, which, as agreeing with the general
nature of these observations, we quote.
In the first class, he places the birds which feed only or
chiefly on seeds ; such as canaries, goldfinches, siskins,
bullfinches, linnets, &c. To the first of these a mixture
of crushed hemp and rape, with canary seed, appears to
be the most acceptable. To the next two, crushed hemp
and poppy seed; and to the last two rape seed alone is
recommended. The latter seed, our authority says, should
be prepared by placing as much as is sufficient for one
day's consumption, in a pipkin, covering it with water, and
letting it stand for twenty-four hours exposed to the heat
of the sun, if it be summer time; if winter, place it on
the hob for a while.
In the second class, are placed those birds which feed
upon seeds and insects, in which category may be placed
larks of all kinds, chaffinches, buntings, and the whole tit
family ; some of these also eat berries, as do several of
those placed in the former class; the first and second of
the birds last mentioned have a decided preference for rape
and cabbage seed, mixed now and then with hemp; the
buntings the same, without green food, which the others
should occasionally have; to the tits give fir and hemp seed,
hazel and other nuts, oats, barley, wheat, and occasionally a
little fat meat. Birds of these two classes are not generally
difficult to preserve in confinement, unless captured during
the pairing season, in which case they frequently pine ana
die.
In the th^fd class are placed those kinds which feed on
16
i/AUE AMD SlNGlNu OliiDo.
berries and insects, such as nightingales, thrushes, redbreasts,
black-caps, and most of the species commonly included in the
genus Sylvia, the warblers, to which Sweet has paid especial
attention. He recommends that a general food for these
tender and delicate songsters shall be prepared thus:—Hemp
seed soaked in boiling Water and bruised small, mixed with
about an equal proportion of raided bread, and made up into
a moist paste, care being taken that there is no salt in the
bread; this should be mixed fresh every morning, and when
given to the birds, should have put with it a little raw lean
meat, which they will sometimes eat by itself, rejecting the
paste; at other times they will take the paste alone, being
somewhat capricious in their tastes and appetites, which must
be humoured. As a change of diet, yolk of egg should
occasionally be given, boiled hard, and crumbled small; one
egg will be found sufficient for twenty birds for a single
day, that is, with the other food.
In the fourth class are placed those birds which feed
upon insects only, that is, from choice, and generally
speaking a little fruit; other soft substances they also
sometimes eat as a change, or when their lavourite food
cannot be procured; these are the wagtails, the chats,
and some of the warblers, and for these snails, worms,
crickets, cockroaches, &c., should be obtained; a bake¬
house is a good preserve for this sort of game; the
maggots of the blow-fly, and the white grub of the cock¬
chafer, are much relished by these birds; they should be
procured late in the autumn, and put into pots of turfy
mould, and placed in a cellar or other cool situation; they
should be cleaned from the dirt when given to the birds,
which are also very fond of ants' eggs; of these a good supply
may be obtained at the proper season from any ant-hill, and
kept in earth for occasional use.
Here are Beehstein's directions for procuringa good supply
of
ants' eggs.
A fine breezy day in summer is chosen; and, provided with
a shovel, we begin by uncovering a nest of the large wood
ants (Formica riifus), till we arrive at the eggs; tnese are
then taken away and placed in the sun, in the middle of
GAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
17
»cloth whose corners are turned up, over little branches well
covered with leaves. The ants, in order to protect the eggs
from the heat of the sun, quickly remove them under the
shelter which is prepared for them. In this manner they are
easily obtained free from dirt and from the ants too. It is a
good plan to dry these eggs, in order to store them for the
winter, and this may be done by putting some sand into a
frying pan, laying the eggs on it, and placing the pan over a
slow tire, keep it there until the sand is so hot that the finger
cannot be borne in it; stirring should be continued during the
process: when it is finished, eggs and sand may be put away
together in a jar.
This is how to procure a store of
MEAL WORMS.
Into an old jar or box put some pieces of leather—part ot
a worn-out shoe will answer the purpose—or some pieces ot
thick brown paper; fill up the receptacle with a mixture ot
barley-meal and bran, or indeed farinaceous meal of any kind
will ao. The miller or baker from whom you procure this
will be able to supply you with a handful of meal worms,
which throw into the mixture ; tie down with a cloth, and put
the whole by for five or six months; if the covering is
moistened occasionally, the live stock within will increase all
the faster. Stale ship biscuit, moistened and put into a
covered vessel in a warm place for a few weeks, will also
afford a supply of these worms.
FLESH MAGGOTS.
Take a stale fish, piece of meat, dead cat, dog, or any small
animal, and hang it up in a shady place, until it becomes
maggoty; then place it in a box or tub half filled with earth.
In a week or two the maggots bury themselves in the earth,
and may be dug up as wanted; the maggot preserve should
be kept in a cool place; the birds will not eat this kind of
food until it is cleaned; this is best done by putting the
worms to crawl in bran for a short time.
The various species included in the fourth and fifth of the
above classes, are called soft billed, in contradistinction to
c
18
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
the bard billed birds, which feed upon grain and seeds
ch ,Jy ; they are many of them very difficult to rear, requir¬
ing, g'N-at care and attention, which they will repay with
th< ■ rudodious song. The Honourable and Reverend Wil-
lia m Herbert, an authority on this point, objects to milk,
which Sweet recommends to be given occasionally, for all
exct-j-v blackcaps, which he says do not appear to suffer from
it; ih ■ is but a negative kind of praise. He also says that
a bf.l'H carrot or beetroot, mashed and moistened, is good
for th e birds, and that they are very fond of it. Boiled
cal ! ; or cauliflower, green peas, all sorts of pudding,
and :■ 1 • Hie finely-minced cooked meat, may also be given at
tinv; " jth advantage. The standard food, however, is
hen : - 1, ground, which may be done in a coffee-mill, and
breau <v uinbs scalded and mashed up together; these birds
are ; L fond of ripe pears, currants, cherries, honeysuckle,
price:, vn<l elder berries, but the latter are objectionable,
bet m. i i.fgy stain the cages.
Li ng of milk as an article of diet, Professor Rennie
gfi} ■. i he has sometimes given it to the blackcap and other
bii medicine, with manifest advantage. Food with
pep] i,,. g, or in any way highly seasoned, is injurious to
m: » m birds, except parrots, and to these should only be
giv.-j: -I rid then, or in cases where ordered medicinally.
St; iy jb«i; is to be avoided like poison; no more than is
re<; C.-- immediate consumption should ever be put into the
fe< • ■ . v :1s, that is, of a moist nature. Green food is good
for f.V bub-- as a change, but too much should not be given;
it i> . .olic ■, and also relaxing; fresh water or other cresses,
ebb . groundsel, summer cabbage, and lettuce, are the
be.- bi'i.b.
I sLii g n given the following receipt for the prepara¬
tion ••
1 GENERAL FOOD.
T ' : 1 "-bite bread a sufficient quantity to last your birds
foi h "■■ s 'uniths; let it be well baked, and left to get stale;
tin' it h a gain into the oven, and thoroughly dry it, so
thm H powdered in a mortar; put this powder by in
a d y hm and every day for each bird take out a tea-
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
spoonful, pour over it three times as much cold or lukewarm
milk—-"his will form a stiff paste, which must be beaten up
smooth. For delicate birds, such as the nightingale, sprinkle
over this dried flies, or meal worms, cut small—these will
tempt the birds to eat the paste, which having tasted they
will be fond of. This authority also gives directions for the
preparation of two other kinds of general food, which we
subjoin,
UNIVERSAL PASTE, NO. 1.
Take a stale well-baked white loaf, put it intofresh water,
and leave it there until perfectly saturated, then press out
the water, and pour boiling milk over the bread p then add to
it about two-thirds of barley, or wheat meal, tolerably coarse,
but free from husk or bran: mix, and use as required.
UNIVERSAL. PASTE, NO. 2.
Grate a carrot (which may be kept in sand in a cool place
the whole year through), and mix it with some white bread,
about the quantity of a penny roll, previously soaked in
fresh water, and squeezed dry; add to this mixture about an
equal quantity of the No. 1 paste, and incorporate the whole
well together by means of a pestle and mortar.
The author observes of both these pastes, that they ought
to be made fresh every day, as they soon become sbm*,' an
objection, we may notice, to which all moist preparations
are liable. He also states that he gives his birds, 'Of which
there are generally from thirty to forty of various kinds ir
possession of one room, the paste No. 1, on which tBey
thrive so well and seem so happy, that no' one would
suppose them to be captives: the food is put out in a it
earthen vessel, at which about half of them can feed at once.
A little hemp, poppy, and rape seed, and a few ants' eggs and
bread-crumbs, are occasionally added as a treat.
We have now, we believe, given all the general direction^
that may he required under this head. In our remarks upon
the several species will he found particular directions for tha
kind of food especially adapted for them. Many pages might
he filled with recipes for pastes and other dainty preparation^
20
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
for almost every bird-fancier has bis favourite ones; but i
careful perusal of what we have written and quoted upon
this subject, will enable our readers to judge for themselves
what is best for their feathered pets to eat, drink, and
avoid.
BREEDING AND REARING.
Those who breea and rear cage-birds, especially of the
more tender and delicate kinds, must make up their minds to
bestow much time and attention upon them ; if they cannot
do this they will assuredly fail. The birds must not be left
to themselves as in a state of nature ; every necessary has to
be provided for them, of the right sort and at the right time;
they must be guarded against extremes of heat and cold,
as well as fright and every sort of disturbance. If they
cannot have the range of a room or aviary, with a choice of
snug comers, furnished with boxes or little osier baskets,
wherein to build and deposit their eggs, a commodious
breeding-cage should be provided for each family, and sup¬
plied with hair, wool, moss, or other materials used by the
little architects. If a single cage is used for more than
one pair of birds, it should be divided into compartments,
otherwise it is likely that the males will fight and destroy
the eggs, or disturb the sitting hens, and so render all hopes
of pmgeny futile. Much judgment is necessary in selecting
the food of the breeding birds, so that it may suit the diges¬
tive capacities of the young they are rearing; many die in
the nest for want of attention to this. When the parent
birds are free, instinct teaches them to select just such food
as will answer the purpose; in confinement they must be
supplied with the proper diet, as far as close observation and
analogous reasoning will enable us to judge. General rules
on this head will scarcely be applicable to all cases, therefore
we shall only attempt here a slight outline of treatment, to
be filled up as experience and the requirements of individual
species may dictate.
First, then, let us observe that the room or cage should be
made as like to nature as possible, by dressing it with boughs
of evergreens; let the cheerful sunbeams stream into it, and
the fresh air find entrance; if laden with perfume from some
cage and singing bikds.
21
near-at-hand flower-garden so much the better. When the
birds show a disposition to pair, be careful not to intrude
upon their privacy more than you are obliged; let them have
a plentiful supply of good stimulating food, and clean sand,
and fresh water, as well as the building materials before
mentioned. Some persons, as soon as the hens begin to lay,
take away the eggs one by one, and replace them with little
ivory balls, until the full number are laid, when they are all
replaced in the nest together; the advantage of this is very
questionable; true the young birds are all hatched at once,
if hatched they should all be, which is frequently not the
case, as the eggs are very liable to be cracked, or otherwise
injured by the handling and change of temperature, incident
to the removal from and return to the nest. But it is not so
in nature; there the young are properly fed, and generally
reared, although some of the inmates of the same nest may
be several days older than the others. There seems to be
nothing in the altered circumstances of the birds to justify
this interference with their natural habits; therefore, we
would say, put away your ivory balls, and let the tiny eggs
remain to take their chance; the parent birds will sit all the
closer for being undisturbed by prying eyes and curious
fingers, there will be less trouble and annoyance to all con¬
cerned, and a greater likelihood of a full and vigorous brood.
During the time of incubation, there should be food and
drink in abundance placed close at hand, so that when they
come off the nest they may at once find what they require,
and not be induced to remain off long. Generally speaking,
a pair of birds should not be allowed to rear more than two
broods in a year, as the work of production and incubation,
if carried on longer than is natural, is too exhausting; it is
not uncommon for canaries put up for breeding to have three
or four broods in a season, but in this case the value of the
5>roduce tempts the owner to sacrifice his hens, which seldom
lve many years, if their posv 3rs are taxed too heavily. In our
account of the Canary will be found many more directions
under the head of Breeding, which are applicable not only to
that species, but also to birds generally.
What we shall have to say upon the subject of Rearing
will apply more especially to those young birds which are
taken wild from the nests; the others may safely be left t»
20
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
for almost every bird-fancier has his favourite ones; but a
careful perusal of what we have written and quoted upon
this subject, will enable our readers to judge for themselves
what is best for their feathered pets to eat, drink, and
avoid.
BHEEDING AND REARING.
Those who breed and rear cage-birds, especially of the
more tender and delicate kinds, must make up their minds to
bestow much time and attention upon them ; if they cannot
do this they will assuredly fail. The birds must not be left
to themselves as in a state of nature ; every necessary has to
be provided for them, of the right sort and at the right time;
they must be guarded against extremes of heat and cold,
as well as fright and every sort of disturbance. If they
cannot have the range of a room or aviary, with a choice of
snug comers, furnished with boxes or little osier baskets,
wherein to build and deposit their eggs, a commodious
breeding-cage should be provided for each family, and sup¬
plied with nair, wool, moss, or other materials used by the
little architects. If a single cage is used for more than
one pair of birds, it should be divided into compartments,
otherwise it is likely that the males will fight and destroy
the eggs, or disturb the sitting hens, and so render all hopes
of progeny futile. Much judgment is necessary in selecting
the food of the breeding birds, so that it may suit the diges¬
tive capacities of the young they are rearing; many die in
the nest for want of attention to this. When the parent
birds are free, instinct teaches them to select just such food
as will answer the purpose; in confinement they must be
supplied with the proper diet, as far as close observation and
analogous reasoning will enable us to judge. General rules
on tbis head will scarcely be applicable to all cases, therefore
we shall only attempt here a slight outline of treatment, to
be filled up as experience and the requirements of individual
species may dictate.
First, then, let us observe that the room or cage should be
made as like to nature as possible, by dressing it with boughs
of evergreens; let the cheerful sunbeams stream into it, and
the fresh air find entrance; if laden with perfume from some
cage and singing bikds.
21
near-at-hand flower-garden so much the better. When the
birds show a disposition to pair, be careful not to intrude
upon their privacy more than you are obliged j let them have
a plentiful supply of good stimulating food, and clean sand,
and fresh water, as well as the building materials before
mentioned. Some persons, as soon as the hens begin to lay,
take away the eggs one by one, and replace them with little
ivory balls, until the full number are laid, when they are all
replaced in the nest together; the advantage of this is very
questionable; true the young birds are all hatched at once,
if hatched they should all be, which is frequently not the
case, as the eggs are very liable to be cracked, or otherwise
injured by the handling and change of temperature, incident
to the removal from and return to the nest. But it is not so
in nature; there the young are properly fed, and generally
reared, although some of the inmates of the same nest may
be several days older than the others. There seems to be
nothing in the altered circumstances of the birds to justify
this interference with their natural habits; therefore, we
would say, put away your ivory balls, and let the tiny eggs
remain to take their chance; the parent birds will sit all the
closer for being undisturbed by prying eyes and curious
fingers, there will be less trouble and annoyance to all con¬
cerned, and a greater likelihood of a full and vigorous brood.
During the time of incubation, there should be food and
drink in abundance placed close at hand, so that when they
come off the nest they may at once find what they require,
and not be induced to remain off long. Generally speaking,
a pair of birds should not be allowed to rear more than two
broods in a year, as the work of production and incubation,
if carried on longer than is natural, is too exhausting; it is
not uncommon for canaries put up for breeding to have three
or four broods in a season, but in this case the value of the
Eroduce tempts the owner to sacrifice his hens, which seldom
ve many years, if their pow irs are taxed too heavily. In our
account of the Canary will be found many more directions
under the head of Breeding, which are applicable not only to
that species, but also to birds generally.
What we shall have to say upon the subject of Rearing
will apply more especially to those young birds which are
taken wild from the nests; the others may safely be left t«
22
CAGE AND SINGING fiitfDS.
their parents. As a general rule they should not be taken
until the quill feathers of the tail are well out, and the others
have begun to grow; they are then, as it is called, stump
feathered, a stage of their growth which is commonly
reached in about three weeks. Some species should be
secured earlier, as will be mentioned in the accounts
given of them in the second section of this work; but
there is always a danger that the change from natural
to artificial food will kill them. On the other hand, if
left too long in the nest they will be difficult to catch,
and when caught will frequently refuse to open their
beaks, and take the food in a different way from that to
which they have been accustomed, and so perish of hunger.
It is best, if possible, to take the nest with the young
birds, and let them remain in it suspended within a cage
in a warm room. They should be fed for the first week or
two almost every hour during the day, and at night covered
up with flannel; they will then sleep until the light is ad¬
mitted to them, which it should not be until their food is
quite ready, a3 a long period of chirping and expectancy will
injure them. The smaller and more delicate birds should be
fed with a quill, and great care must be taken that they do
not hurt their mouths or throats, as in this case they will
probably refuse the food altogether. The larger kinds, such
as thrushes, may be fed by means of a piece of stick slightly
flattened at the end, and pointed, but not too sharply.
Small pieces of food at the time should be given, certainly
not larger than a pea, and never overfeed them; leave off
when they cease to manifest great eagerness for the proffered
morsel. The food should be tolerably moist and quite fresh;
bread and milk, with rape-seed scalded and crushed, will suit
nearly all kinds; the insectivorous kinds require scraped meat,
ants' eggs, or meal worms, mixed with it, and there are
other variations as specified in our accounts of the several
species. If young birds are obliged to be left for any con¬
siderable time, it is best to cover them and exclude the light;
they will then most probably sleep in happy ignorance of its
being other than their legitimate time for rest. After awhile,
once in two or three hours will be often enough to administef
food, and very soon the birds will begin to peck for them,
selves, and this is a critical period in their lives; they ar|
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
23
often unable to take sufficient nourishment without help, and
yet are unwilling' to he fed. In this emergency, tne introduc¬
tion of a gentle, kindly-dispositioned old bird has oeen tound
useful, A male chaffinch has been known to feed a dozen
fledgelings, to which, previous to his introduction among
them, he was a total stranger. Young birds frequently get
their feathers very much soiled and mat-ted together, not¬
withstanding all the attention that may be bestowed upon
them; a warm bath with a little soap and flannel will remove
the impurities. After the operation the birds should be
carefully covered up, and placed in the sunshine or before
a fire; if they get chilled, death will surely be the result.
As, however, the bath tends to weaken the birds, it should
be seldom resorted to. Should the nestlings be troubled with
vermin, drop on a piece of flannel or soft rag some spirits of
turpentine, and fold it closely around the little patient, leav¬
ing only the bead uncovered; hold it so for the space of
about a minute. On taking it off, the insects will be found
adhering to it. Destroy the rag, and repeat the application
as often as may be necessary.
Young broods in captivity are frequently reared by their
wild parents, if placed in a cage where they can have access
to them. This plan, however, is not a good one for those
which are intended for trained songsters, as they will be sure
to practise their natural notes, and introduce them into the
artificial song which they afterwards acquire. With some
kinds, perhaps, this is rather an advantage, but those
who resort to this sort of management, should be aware
of it.
TEACHING AND TRAINING.
As it is for their vocal powers that the majority of cage
birds are chiefly valued, it is of great importance that they
should be properly taught. Artificial songs or strains are
most commonly preferred to natural ones, and however much
we may in many instances question the good taste of this
preference, yet we cannot ignore the fact as it stands, nor
can we consider a work like the present at all complete
unless it furnishes the bird fancier with some information as
to the systems of instruction which obtain in the schools
£4
CAWK akii oiwoirrG BIRD!'.
where feathered pupils are instructed in the shakes, and trills,
and quavers, and
" Notes with many a winding bout
Of linked sweetness long drawn ou^*
which go to make a perfect songster—a cantatrice, whose
thrilling music delights the heart and ravishes the senses.
Something on this head we shall have say when we
come to speak of the canary, which is usually considered as
the chief of caged songsters. As an introduction to our
general remarks, we cannot do better than quote the obser¬
vations of a celebrated bird trainer named Lewis de Berg-
" There is neither a lark, linnet, bullfinch, nor goldfinch, but
that may be brought to as great perfection in song as
the canary finch; but the English do not take the pains a
German does. They love to sleep (or, as he might have
said, do something more profitable), while the German is
tuning his pipe and instructing his feathered songsters.
There is more to be done with the lark from two to three
o'clock in the morning, than can be done in many months in
the daytime, or when the least noise or sound is to be heard
but from the instructor; and this rule holds good with all
finches. Everything should be quiet but the master. As it
is with the human kind, so it is with the feathered: a good
master often makes a good scholar, and a good tutor seldom
fails in making a good bird. I say, begin with your birds
when all is quiet; they will then take much more notice of
what you endeavour to teach them. The age for beginning
to instruct should not exceed three months. I sometimes
begin sooner. I seldom stay less than an hour with each
bird. I sometimes use my pipe, sometimes whistle, some¬
times sing, but whichever method I adopt, I seldom fail of
bringing up birds to please; insomuch that I have often sold
a lark for two guineas; a linnet for one guinea; a bullfinch,
when it could pipe finely, from five to ten guineas; and a
goldfinch from one to two guineas. In short, the whole art
of bringing up a bird to sing well depends entirely on visit¬
ing him early, and furnishing him the last thing before you
leave him with what he is to eat for the day. He should be
supplied daily with fresh water in his fountain, and small
gravel at the bottom of his casre; but short allowance in
CAGH AND SINGING BIRDS.
eating- is absolutely necessary to make liim a good songster.
When I come to him in the morning, he is glad to see me
if he is hungry, he will begin to talk to me, and bid me
welcome. At first approaching my bird, I very often give
him three or four grains of rice which have been steepea in
canary (wine). I sometimes add a little saffron or cochineal
to the water, according as I find my bird in health and
strength, and I seldom fail of being rewarded with a song
for my pains. In the general way of feeding the larks,
I give a small quantity of bruised rice, with egg and
bread, and now and then a few hemp seeds. I feed
the smaller birds with Erape seed, and a very little canary
with it, the latter being apt to make them fat and dull. I
give them likewise at times a little bruised rice, which does
abundance of service, and most assuredly prevents their
falling into scouring, which is the death of many a fine bird.
Birds accustomed to this way of feeding are seldom troubled
with what is called the pip. They shed their feathers with
far more ease than other birds, and are in general much
prone to singing, and have a more agreeable note than birds
that have not been so trained."
We have in these few remarks, desultory as they
appear to be, the whole rationale of bird-training—early and
regular attendance, gentleness, and kindness. The pupils,
while they learn sweet notes, learn also to regard their
teacher as their friend: when their lesson has been sufficiently
conned, the food for the day is given to them, and seems like
a reward for their efforts: they naturally associate the sound
of his coming footstep, and his voice, and his whistle, and
his bird-pipes, with the enjoyment of such delicacies as
canary-steeped rice, and the more solid food which will
follow the lesson, and they exert themselves to the utmost
to please so kind a friend and bountiful a master. Truly
has the ingenious German said, " as it is with the human
kind, so it is with the feathered;" bird nature is like human
nature, easily drawn by the cords of love, and very teach¬
able under its influence.
Bechstein, we observe, recommends De Berg s condiment
for songsters under training. Here are his words: " When I
order grains of rice to be given, I always expect the rice has.
been first soaked in canary wine, and afterwards dried care-
26
CAGE! AND BOOING BIRDS.
fully for use, though giving a bird a few grains while they
are moist with this excellent liquor does very well, but
should not be constantly practised. The rice is only to be
roughly bruised so as to make it tender, and consequently
easier eaten by the birds. I have observed," he con-
tinues, " many persons in England give their birds loaf
sugar, which is a great error. I advise in its place a small
lump of bay salt, or cuttle bone, and now and then a drop 01
two of the spirits of nitre in their water." He says, too, that
" nestling linnets and the canary finch, educated under either
the skylark, woodlark, or titlark, will adhere through life to
the song of their instructor. To prevent all nestlings from
learning the natural song of their parents, remove them
out of their hearing, for although they cannot see until
the ninth day, they hear from the moment they are
hatched."
The Germans are the most extensive and systematic bird
trainers, perhaps, in the world, and a description of one or
two of their schools would not be without interest; but we
scarcely know that it would answer any useful end. The
quotations which we have here given from De Berg and
Bechstein, together with the directions which will be found
further on in our remarks upon young canaries, will, we
apprehend, be sufficient for our readers, who should be ac¬
quainted with the terms by which birdsellers distinguish the
several orders, or classes, into which they divide the songs of
birds. First, then, the bird is said to warble, or quaver, when
it always repeats the passages or single notes of its song in
the same order, or with but little variation, as do the night¬
ingale and chaffinch j it sings, when it utters the chirping or
twittering song mingled with more distinct notes, but not in
any regular order of succession, as do the siskin and red¬
breast. It whistles, or pipes, when its song consists of full,
distinct flute-like notes, forming a perfect chain of melody,
which may or may not take the form of a certain recognised
air or tune, although frequently it does so. Of this we have
examples in the trained canary, linnet, bullfinch, and several
other birds that have been carefully educated.
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS
27
DISEASES.
The last scene of all in " this eventful history" with birds,
as well as man, is death, and diseases are the gloomy avenues
which lead to the place of long1 and unbroken rest; hence we
have thought it well to make a few observations upon bird
sickness at the end of this general section, or division, of our
subject.
There can be no doubt that birds kept in confinement are
exposed to the attacks of a far greater number of maladies
than those in a wild state; but we think it should not be
inferred from this, that the free bird usually has a longer
lease of life than the captive; it is exposed to many dangers
and privations, which the caged songster altogether escapes;
and great as may be its activity and power of endurance,
yet it is so frequently shot, snared, frozen, starved, or
devoured by its furred or feathered enemies, that a peaceful
and natural termination to its existence must be quite an
exceptional case. A life of liberty, then, it should be remem¬
bered, is not all song and sunshine, any more than a life of
captivity is so sad and pitiable as some would have us sup¬
pose. We do not mean to set up this as a plea for the
capture and confinement of the sweet songsters of the fields
and woodlands; our intention is to show that there is not so
much cruelty in keeping birds in cages and aviaries, obnox¬
ious as they may be in this state to numerous ills not natural
to bird flesh, as we are frequently told there is. We are
willing to concede that it may often deserve the name of
cruelty, to deprive old birds of their liberty—to mew up the
free rejoicing creature, that has been used to spread its
Einions in the golden sunlight, and breathe the fresh air of
eaven, far away from the dimmed and polluted atmosphere
of towns and cities. We do not advocate the capture of
juch; give them their life of freedom with all its dangers and
orivations; they enjoy it, they revel in it, happily uncon¬
scious of the doom that may suddenly overtake them. But
for young birds that have never experienced these pleasures
»f freedom, but have been brought up under the care of man;
that have learned to look upon him as a friend and protector,
and have not learned to provide themselves with the food
28 cage and singing
which he duly administers to them—these, we say, in a state
of captivity, have surely pleasures peculiar thereto, and may
without wrong or injury be so kept. All creatures were
given by God for the use and pleasure of man, and provided
he subject them not to unnecessary suffering, he may legiti¬
mately exercise over them that power which is his divine
birthright; the canary and the nightingale, as well as the
horse and the dog, are his, and if he desires to fill his home
with melody, and delight his ear with sweet sounds, when
the forest birds are mute, or he cannot go forth to listen to
them, surely he may do so without offending the great God,
whose all-seeing eye lets not even a sparrow fall to the
ground unnoted. Unquestionably he may, but in doing this'
he takes upon himself the responsibility, too often forgotten,
of caring for the little captives, providing for their wants, and
attending to their ailments, many of which may be attributed
to the artificial diet and mode of life to which, for his plea¬
sure, they are compelled to submit. We trust that the few
simple directions which are here given will assist him to
perform this duty, for it is no less. The diseases specified
are such as occur to cage birds generally; some birds are
more peculiarly liable to certain of them than others, and we
have in many instances noticed this in treating of the species
To the canaries, and also to the parrots, we have judged it
necessary to append special directions under this head, as the
mode of treatment prescribed for them is in some cases diffe¬
rent from that recommended for cage birds in general.
The Pip.—This disease generally proceeds from a cold;
its prominent symptoms are a yellow tint at the root of the
beak, which is frequently opened; the hind feathers much
ruffled, the nostrils stopped up, and the tongue hard, dry, and
coated. A pill, composed of butter, pepper, and garlic,
should be administered, with infusion of hoarhound, or
speedwell, as a pectoral drink; the diet should be warm and
nourishing, but not such as is heating to the system, or likely
to aggravate the fever with which the poor bird is parched
up; oatmeal should be given if the bird's bowels are confined,
with a few grains of salt in it. This disease more frequently
affects large than small birds, and the most effectual remedy,
usually practised on barn-door fowl and the like, is to strip the
tongue of the outer skin, beginning at the palate; this open*
cage and singing birds.
2D
tlte pores, and allows the secretion necessary for digestion
to flow out ; small and delicate birds could not bear the
operation.
Rheum.—This also results from a cold; the chief symp¬
tom is frequent sneezing and shaking of tbe head; the best
remedies are warmth, a bread and milk diet, and pectoral
drink as above.
Consumption is commonly an effect produced by unna¬
tural food, by which the digestive organs are impaired ; the
symptoms are a falling away at the breast, swelling at th„
stomach, and moping; the remedies, if any there be, which
is doubtful, are iron water, a live spider, which acts as a
purgative, good nourishing food, with a little scraped carrot,
water-cresses, and other vegetables.
Constipation may be known by frequent unsuccessful
efforts made by the bird to relieve itself. If a live spider
does not effect a cure, dip the head of a large pin in linseed
foil, and introduce into the vent of the bird ; this is usually
'effective—bread and milk should be the food. Bechstein re¬
commends as a laxative the skin of a meal-worm filled with
'linseed oil and saffron: this is readily swallowed by the
'patient.
1 Dysentery.—Birds unaccustomed to the food of the
aviary frequently suffer from this disease, which, if not
"checked quickly, will cause death ; the constant evacuation
lof a chalky looking fluid, which sticks about the vent and
Sunder parts of the body and greatly inflames them, is an in¬
timation of the danger to which the songster is exposed. In
ltnis case iron water and a linseed oil clyster, applied on ^na
head of a pin, have been found serviceable. Let the food be
"as natural as possible; warm bread and milk, with nard
boiled yolk of egg, is good; the sore parts should Be ano nted
"with fresh butter.
I Pimples, or Obstruction of the Rump Gla i>.—
This is a gland which forms part of the structural eco omy
S'of every bird, and is intended for secreting the oily subs ance
Required to render the plumage supple and impervious to
Ifwet. The bird presses this gland, which is situated uusf
sabove the rump, with its bill, and the oil oozes out; if this i*
Jtoot done frequently, the opening is apt to get clog ged, an
[there being no vent for the increasing contents of the gland.
SO CAGE AND SINGING- fclEBS.
it gets hard and inflamed. If you see your bird sitting
about with its tail bent downwards, and often turning its
bead to peck at tbe binder part, where the feathers will most
likely appear ruffled, suspect that this is the case, and if, on
examination, you find it so, rub the gland with some fresli
butter and sugar mixed together, at the same time clearing
and enlarging the aperture with a needle, or sharp knife.
Some persons cut off the gland altogether, but this is a bad
plan, for although it effects a cure, it deprives the bird of a
useful organ, for want of which at the next moult it will
probably die. Bechstein recommend a salve of litharge,
white lead, and olive oil, to remove the obstruction; and
Tscheiner, another German naturalist, states that this evil
may be remedied by puncturing the gland, compressing it
frequently, bathing the bird with a syringe, and plucking
out some of the tail feathers, in the renewal of which the
accumulated fat is absorbed, and the gland sufficiently re¬
lieved to resume its functions..
Epilepsy, or Fits, may be caused by an excess of nou¬
rishment and want of exercise; birds subject to attacks of
this sort are generally carried off by them after a time; they
should be picked up directly they fall, and plunged into cold
water; if this is not successful, pare one of the nails close so
as to draw blood; if possible, open the beak and get down
the throat a few drops of olive oil, mixed with sherry wine.
Some persons pull out a pinion feather, but we doubt the
benefit of this; if the bird recovers from the fit, keep it
upon low diet, and give it plenty of cooling and relaxing
green food.
Moulting may be considered as a disease, although it is
a natural and constantly recurring process, by which the
bird is divested of its old feathers, and clothed with fresh
ones. Warmth and good stimulating diet is the best mods
of treatment ; there is no such critical period in the fife of a
bird as the moulting season, and extra care and attention is
required to carry it safely through: in weakly birds, which
are deficient in vital energy, the fresh plumage is sometimes
very slow of development-—in this case, a little sherry wine
occasionally blown over th e body will greatly assist the pro¬
cess. More remarks upon this subject will be found under
the head of Canary, ami elsewhere.
CAGE AND singiN<* birds.
SI
! Sore Feet are generally caused by want of proper at¬
tention to cleanliness: they should be at once seen to, or
they will become 'incurable, and endanger the life of the
5ifcl. It is best to bathe them in lukewarm water, so as to
Remove all impurities; if there are any wounds, anoint them
frith fresh butter, or salad oil, repeating the application until
they are healed. Every year the thick scales in front of the
tegs become loose: they should then be removed, but so
Carefully as not to break the skin.
1 T mpany consists of a puffing of the skin over a part or
ffie whole of the body. The distension has a transparent
fra *ery look, and the remedy which naturally suggests itself
IS1, .mdoubtedly the best, viz., a slight puncture by means of
! needle. The fluid is soon got rid of, and the bird is
Jifoaally as well as ever directly after. The cause of this
iomplaint has not been at all clearly ascertained,
i Twirling or Giddiness.—This should, perhaps, be con¬
sidered rather as a bad habit than a disease, but it some-
rimes leads to serious results, therefore every effort should be
made to counteract it. Seed-eating birds are more especially
Subject to this affection, frequently turning over and falling
off the perches, though not in a state of insensibility as hi
epilepsy. It seems that the birds twist their necks so far
back as to overbalance themselves; occasionally they twirl
round two or three times before they fall. As soon as this
tbad habit is noticed, cover up the top of the cage, so that
iiothing can be seen beyond, to cause a stretching upward
jand backward of the neck of the captive.
Parasites.—Birds that are infested with lice or mites are
[restless, and may frequently be observed, especially at night,
tpicking about various parts of their bodies. Those parts
where the vermin are most likely to lurk should first be
(Syringed with water in which a little quicksilver has been
fallowed to remain for some hours, or with a weak infusion o 1
utobacco : some recommend fumigation with this herb, but
jthe inhalation of it by the bird, which can hardly be pre¬
sented, must prove prejudicial. Frequent bathing, great at-
jtention to cleanliness, botli as regards the cage and its
(Inmate, and a daily supply of fresh dry sand, are also neces¬
sary to effect the ejectment of these troublesome visitors. A
cage of which they have once taken possession is, however,
m
CAGE AND SINGiiMG bliu*..
a ever entirely freed from them, and it is best to g et rid of it
If you cannot do this, wash it often, sprinkle the joints and
crevices with turpentine, or a weak solution of white pre.
cipitate powder, taking care not to put the birds into it for
some hours after the application is made. With this solu¬
tion also, should the vermin prove obstinate, the body of the
bird may be washed at those parts which cannot be reached
by its beak.
Corpulence.—Birds in confinement, and this is espe¬
cially the case with some species of warblers during the
autumn, often become uncomfortably fat, owing probably, in
a great measure, to the want of sufficient exercise. Dried
snts' eggs put into the drink, and scraped carrot mixed with
the food, will tend to check this disposition to obesity.
Pairing Fever.—Usually about the month of May,
when the sexual desire is strongest, birds that are confined
in cages and denied its indulgence, are attacked with this
malady: they cease to sing, and sit moping with ruflled
feathers j refuse their food, and sometimes pine and die.
This is the true " love sickness," and anything whicii may
serve to divert their attention from the silent sorrow which
consumes them is good. Place them in the cheerful sun¬
shine ; tempt them with dainty morsels of food j sing and
whistle to them, and, above all, remove them out of sight and
hearing of any hen birds of the same species which you may
possess. Entire change of scene often does much in these
cases. Send the despairing lover to visit a friend at some
distance: if you are a town dweller let it l)e into the country
that the bird is seat, and he will most likfy si on recover.
Pettichap.—P. 41
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
SECTION II.
SPECIES.
If will be most convenient for our present purpose to
arrange the birds on which we have to treat in groups or
families, in accordance with their natural affinities, having
regard more particularly to the nature of their food, and
mode of treatment in captivity. Any strict adherence to a
merely scientific arrangement would scarcely be looked for in
work like this, and it would be objectionable for several
reasons.
Let us then proceed to describe our first family, that of
the
WARBLERS,
Included by some naturalists in a distinct genus under the
ter n sylvaa. These are all what are called insectiverous, or
soft-billed birds, and are mostly only summer visitants in
this country. Generally speaking they are very difficult tc
rear aud keep in a state of captivity, and therefore require
an extraordinary degree of care and attention. An eminently
musical family of birds are these warblers: sweet feathered
choristers are they all; but the sweetest of all, crowned by
general consent as the very queen of song, is
THE NIGHTINGALE.
This is one which requires a very careful study of its
wants and habits, and an exceedingly tender and "delicate
mode of treatment, to keep it healthy in a state of confine¬
ment.
It is a migratory bird, and generally arrives in this country
about the middle of April ; the males preceding the females
34
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
by a week or so, hence bird-catchers are always on the look
out for the first arrivals. They are easily taken in a traj:
baited with mealworms, or some other living1 insects, planted
near their favourite haunts, which are groves and coppices,
usually in a low sheltered valley, watered by a gentle stream,
where the ground is moist and insect lood abundant. In
these places they are caught in great numbers as soon as they
arrive, so that the bird marts of Whitechapel and Seven
Dials are for a time stocked with sweet songsters, lor which
purchasers are soon found. Five shillings is the price com¬
monly asked for a good healthy male nightingale that has
become in some degree habituated to his imprisonment, and
shows no disposition to sulk or mope, as many of them will
do. A purchase should by no means be concluded until the
bird has been heard to sing more than once, and its motions
watched somewhat narrowly, as there are "tricks in all
trades," not even excepting bird-selling. It would be well,
if possible, to get the songster on trial for a short time, to
ascertain if the change of situation affected him, as night¬
ingales are capricious birds, and if " put out," will sometimes
remain obstinately mute, and pine away and die, a£ it would
seem, of grief and vexation of spirit. They will sometimes,
also, when first taken, pour out their lives in melody—actually
kill themselves with singing what appears to be a passionate
complaint of their ill-starred fate. A very loud and inces¬
sant songster should therefore be cautiously approached j
better wait, and see if the fit lasts. In abundant seasons a
good male bird may sometimes be bought for 2s. 6^.; the
price varies from that to 7s. 6d., according to the size and
appearance of the bird, and the quality of the song. More
than the minimum price should not be given for hens, which
are sometimes wanted for stocking aviaries. None but a
connoisseur can distinguish a full grown male from a female
nightingale, except by the song: the shape of both is slender
and elegant, the legs long, generally rather more, safin the
male; the beaks narrow and pointed; the plumage of the
upper part of the body of a grayish brown, with a slight
rusty tinge, which, in very old birds, becomes more of an
ashy gray. Towards the rump the brown tinge deepens and
inclines more to red. The breast and sides are pale gray J
the pinion feathers grayish brown, with a rusty yellow ruajV
CAGB AMD SIWOIWO BIR55S.
95
G'iR; the larger wing coverts are of the same colour, with
dirtj white tops; the tail feathers, wmcn are broad arac
straight, and easily broken, are of a dingy rust colour: the
legs and feet are a brownish flesh colour: ana the irides
grayish brown. These are all sober tints, out oeing Harmoni¬
ously blended, they produce on the whole a pleasing efleet,
which is heightened by the elegant shape and graceful mo¬
tions of the bird, so that, apart from its powers of song, it is
a very desirable occupant of the aviary.
Bechstein says that the female redstart is often sold for
a nightingale, and he points out some peculiarities by tvhich
the two birds may be distinguished. The former bird, he
says, is not so large, nor is the general colour of her
plumage so dark. Her feet and beak are black; the former
more slender in make. The tail is of a brighter colour,
except the two centre feathers, which are black or dark
brown; it is also longer and thinner than that of the night¬
ingale : it is, too, almost incessantly in motion, while
that of the latter bird is only jerked now and then, and is ge¬
nerally elevated above the tips of the wings. Moreover, the
gait and whole bearing of the nightingale is more proud and
dignified than that of the redstart: it moves slowly, and, as
it were, with due consideration.
Only two* or three instances, we believe, of the night¬
ingale's being induced to breed in confinement are upon
record, and few would care to take the necessary trouble, for
the rare chances of success. The thing is possible, but so
improbable, that we need not dwell upon the means by which
it has been brought about; such, however, as wish to make
this experiment, will find a detail of the modus operandi in
Kidtfs Journal, vol. i., p. 283. The editor ol this Work,
William Kidd, an enthusiastic lover of song birds, and of
the nightingale especially, tells us how the Whitechapel
bird-catchers "meat off," as they term it, newly-caught
nightingales :—" Some fresh raw beef is scraped, and being
divested of all fibrous substance, it is mixed into a soft paste
with cold water and hard-boiled yolk of egg. This is put
into a large bird-pan. In the midst of this food is placed f
emfili inverted liqueur glass, with the stem broken off. Unde
this glass are introduced three or iour lively mealworm^
whose oft-repeated endeavours to escape attract, the attention
38
of the bird, which, not understanding1 how they are placed
beyond his reach, continues to peck at them until he tastes
the food and egg which has been rubbed over the sides of
the glass." Finding this palatable he eats on, and so ac¬
quires a taste for artificial food, which he afterwards takes
eagerly when it is offered to him. This will afford a useful
hint to the amateur bird-fancier; to the " professional" it
will he nothing new.
Young nightingales are excessively difficult to rear unless
the old birds can also be taken and induced to act as nurses,
which they will sometimes do. The best food for them is
ants' eggs, mixed with crumbled and moistened white bread,
in about equal proportions; or chopped mealworms may take
the place of the ants' eggs, or the yolk of a hard-boiled
egg: sometimes the bread may be soaked in milk, and
squeezed dry. The nest of the nightingale must be sought
for in the neighbourhood of woods and coppices, among the
thick underwood, or in shrubberies and gardens; it is
generally placed more than two feet from the ground, and
not often above four or five : the eggs are of a dingy green
colour. If the nest and young are taken and placed in a
trap cage near the spot, the old birds may generally be cap¬
tured also. As soon as possible they should he put into a
cage lined with calico or cloth, as they are at first very vio¬
lent, and will probably kill themselves in their efforts tc
escape otherwise. On the bottom of the cage strew ants
eggs, meal-worms, white bread crumbs, and sand; give
them also a supply of water, and leave them alone for
awhile; then place the nest with the fledgelings close to the
wires outside, and retiring out of sight of the prisoners,
watch if they feed their young; should they do this, the
birds may be shortly all placed together in a breeding-cage,
and if plentifully supplied with food and kept quiet, matters
will no doubt go on satisfactorily. If, after waiting some
time, you find they will not perform their parental duties,
approach the nest gently, with a quill pointed at the end,
and picking up a meal-worm, or ants' egg, put it into one ot
the little gaping bills before you, and continue to do this
until all be fed. Perhaps by the time they are hungry again
the old birds may have been stimulated to follow your ex¬
ample ; if not, it is a hopeless case—the nestlings will have
CAGE A£i> SINGING BIRDS.
37
to be reared by hand, and must be fed every hour during the
day on the food above described. If you still keep the old
birds prisoners, which, you should do, as instructors of the
young in singing, let them be fed on fresh ants' eggs and
meal-worms, or, these failing, supply their place by roasted
ox-heart and raw carrot, both grated fine, and mixed with a
few dried ants' eggs, of which every bird keeper ought to have
a store. Carrots may always be preserved fresh, if placed in
sand in the cellar; a little lean beef, or mutton, free from
fat, may be occasionally given with the above. Nightingales
are very fond of boiled vegetables and soft pudding, and a
little now and then is good for them, as is stale white bread
soaked in milk, squeezed dry, and mixed with yolk of egg,
or maggots of the flesh-fly, or ground hemp-seed scalded.
Spiders, earwigs, crickets, and various insects, may also be
given, with advantage. Several other kinds of food are used
for this bird, such, for instance, as pea-meal and egg, made
into a loaf and baked; when wanted for use, it is grated and
mixed with dried ants' eggs and water into a paste. In
Germany, according to Bechstein, crushed poppy-seeds,
mixed with bread-crumbs, are much given, but the hirds so
fed, he says, generally die of decline. This author gives xhe
following receipt for obtaining a constant supply of meal¬
worms, which, with ants' eggs, are undoubtedly the food
most relished by, and fitted for, the nightingale :—
" Into a half-gallon jar put some wheat-bran, barley, or oat-
- meal, and a few strips of thick brown paper, or old shoe
leather; throw in half a pint of meal worms, and allow them
to remain for three months, occasionally moistening the cloth
which is tied over the jar with a little beer. The worms
will by this time have become beetles, laying eggs, and pro¬
ducing other worms with great rapidity. This will be your
reservoir, out of which you shall give to one bird about tin no
every day."
Young nightingales brought up by hand seldom turn out
good songsters, unless they are placed under the tuition of
old birds of the same species. If a selection is made from a
nest of fledglings for the purpose of rearing, it should be
borne in mind that those birds with the lightest plumage,
and most white about the throats, are the male3; before the
first moulting they do not resemble the parents, but after
38
CftOB AliD S1HGING B1X1D&
wards the only distinguishing- mark is a yellow feather, 01
spot, scattered here and there about the head or neck, fre¬
quently near the beak and eyes.
The undisturbed possession of a room, into which the sun¬
shine freely enters, and where they can fly about among
branches of pine, or some other evergreen, with plenty of
find sand, clean water, and appropriate food, are the great
essentials to the health and happiness of confined nightingales.
Under these favourable circumstances, it is said that they
will sometimes breed, though, as we stated before, this is a
very rare occurrence; if a separate room cannot be affoided
them, it is better to put them singly, or in pairs, into cages,
which, Bechstein says, may be of any desired form, from
twelve to eighteen inches long, from six to twelve inches
broad, and about a foot higli ; the roof should be lined with
green cloth, or baize, and the three perches, two near the
bottom of the cage, and one higher up, should also he
covered with this substance, to preserve the feet of the bird,
which are very tender. The water vessel should be placed in
a half cylindrical projection, into which the bird can pass for
the purpose of bathing, so that it need not wet the bottom of
its habitation, which should be covered with a sheet of blot¬
ting-paper, the frequent changing of which will remove all
impurities. He likewise recommends that the cage should
be painted green : care being taken that it is thoroughly dry
and free from smell, before the bird is put into it.
It is found that, thus caged, the nightingale will sing
better, and more continuously, than when loose in the aviary,
where there is much to disturb and attract its attention. It
requires to be watched and lminoured, sometimes preferring
a shady, sometimes a sunny place to sing in; and whatever
attentions are paid to it, must be done with gentleness and
great caution.
To all birds the moulting season is a period of great trial
and danger, and it is especially so to the nightingale, which
at that time should be well supplied with the most nourishing
food, and kept free from draughts of cold air and annoyance--
of every kind. A spider or two, now and then, should on
given in this critical emergency, and also when the bird ia
suffering from a disordered stomach, which may be known
by its moping, with ruffled feathers awl head hidden under
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
the wings, in this case, too, a little saffron m the water is
beneficial. For those maladies under which the bird suffers
in common with other birds, resort may be had to the reme¬
dies prescribed in the introductory portion of this work. It
is especially necessary to attend to the scales which form
upon the legs and claws, and remove them, at least, every
three months; this should be done with great care and
tenderness.
Nightingales sometimes live in confinement many years,
hut after the fifth or sixth year their song loses much of its
.power and sweetness, and is less frequently uttered. The
most prudent and humane course is then to set them at
liberty. After their migration they are likely to return to
the same neighbourhood, with renewed powers of song, and
repay this act of kindness with such sweet melody, as made
old Izaak Walton exclaim—" Lord, what music hast thou
provided for the saints in heaven, when thou givest bad men
such music on ear.th 1 "
THE BLACKCAP.
This bird is sometimes called the mock nightingale, and
possesses, in the opinion of some, powers of song equal to
those of the more universally acknowledged leader of the
sylvan choir, than which it is much less difficult to rear and
keep in confinement. This may be called the English mock-
ipg bird, as it readily catches the notes of any other songster
which it chances to hear. Sweet says, that he has heard it
imitate the nightingale so exactly that even his practised ear
was deceived, and also the blackbird, thrush, and greater
pettichap, all of which birds differ greatly in the tones and
arrangement of their notes.
The blackcaps generally arrive in this country about the
beginning of April; they have been heard and seen as early
as^he 23rd of March and as late as the 15th of October;
the old birds are shy and very difficult to catch, but the
young ones are easily taken soon after they begin to fly, by
means of nets and limed twigs, baited with meal-worms, or
maggots: a cherry, a live butterfly, or a green caterpillar,
are tempting baits for the adult birds, which must be sought
for in much the same localities a,s the nightingale.
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
Blackcaps are by no means plentiful birds, and a good
eock will fetch as bigb a price as any songster brought into
the market, except a choice canary, a piping bullfinch, or
some other highly educated feathered performer; they are
about the same size as the linnet: the prevailing colours of
the plumage are ashen gray and olive green; it is the male
only which has the black covering at the top of the head,
from which the name is derived 5 the head of the female is 8
reddish brown, and she is generally the larger bird of the
two; she also occasionally sings, and hence has been some¬
times considered a distinct species, and called the red-capped
warbler.
The hemispherical nest of this bird, with its five or sis
yellowish white eggs, mottled and spotted with yellow and
brown, may often be found in a white-thorn, or some othei
thick prickly bush or hedge, not far from the ground. The
old birds feed their young with caterpillars, moths, and other
insects; they can be reared on bread and milk without much
difficulty, or the same food as that recommended for the
nightingales. If brought up near one of these birds and a
canary, they will acquire a beautiful song, composed of their
own natural notes and those of these brilliant performers. It
is not until after the first moulting that the cap, which dis¬
tinguishes the male from the female, begins to appear; if
therefore, you wish at this early period of life to determine
the sex of the bird, you must do as Bechstein recom¬
mends, that is, pull out a few feathers from the top of
the head ; should the bird be a male these brown feathers
will soon be replaced by black ones. This bird will
sing in confinement during the greater part of the year; it
soon becomes familiar, and will readily take to feed on
bruised hemp-seed, and bread, if some currants, raspberries,
or other small fruit, be stuck into it. Some kind of fruit ap-
oears always requisite to keep the bird in perfect health.
Elder-berries in the autumn, and privet-berries in the winter,
with slices of pine, or soft sweet apple, should be given it,
with a few flies and spiders occasionally. If loose in a room,
it should have a snug corner with a pine-branch for a perch,
but it seems to do best in a cage, which should be tolerably
commodious. It has been known to live from twelve to six¬
teen years in confinement. It is subject to much the same
CAGE AND SINGING 3IHB8.
41
diseases as the nightingale, hut is more liable to decline;
ants' eggs, meal-worms, and an iron nail in the water which
it drinks, are the best remedies.
THE fauvette ob fettichap, sometimes CALLED THE
garden warbler.
This is a somewhat smaller bird than the blackcap; the
prevailing colour of its plumage is reddish gray, mingled
with white and brown, of various shades; it is a plump
handsomely shaped bird. Sweet says of its song, that it is
scarcely to be surpassed by any of the genus, the nightingale
excepted. It may be first heard in our woods and copses
towards the latter end of April, soon after the arrival of the
bird; beginning very low, with a twitter something like that
of the swallow, it gradually rises and swells, until it becomes
as loud and almost as mellow as that of the blackbird, like
which it continues singing with but little cessation through¬
out the whole day. It is generally found in gardens and
plantations, feeding on fruit and caterpillars, especially those
green ones, which are the larvse of the Papilio Brassicoe or
cabbage butterfly. It builds generally on trees or high
shrubs, some ten or twelve feet from the ground, on which,
•however, according to Macgillivray, it is sometimes placed;
the nest is loosely made of dry grass; the eggs, from four to
six in number, are of a dull white colour, dotted with light
brown and gray. The young are hatched in about a fort¬
night, and begin to leave the nest as soon as the feathers
appear. The old birds may be caught most easily in July.
Au gust, and September, in springes baited with cherries,
currants, elder-berries, or almost any soft fruit, of which
they are very fond; they may also, says Bechstein, be taken
without difficulty in the water-trap, especially from seven to
nine a. m., and in the evening, just before sunset. The bird
is easily tamed, and will sing, in confinement, nearly the
whole year through; it is very greedy, and will sometimes,
especially if fed with nightingale's food, die of surfeit. It is
a more delicate bird than the blackcap ; the term of its prison
life, although Sweet kept one nearly double that time, seldom
exceeding three years. If fed wholly on the universal paste,
its feathers will soon begin to fall off, and the bird will perish
42 aAU c> i\UlNljr ±slHI»o.
of cold, Jt is fond of fresh raw meat, both fat and lean, and
also the yolk of an egg; the former should be scraped, anil
the latter chopped very fine, and mixed with some bread¬
crumbs, or universal paste. Emit of some kind or other
should always be kept in the cage.
THE WHITETHROAT.
This very lovely and attractive bird, which is sometimes
called the whitethroated warbler, is considered by Sweet to
possess powers of song equal to those of any other bird what¬
soever; we should not be inclined to estimate it so highly as
this, although we have heard it " discourse" very delightful
melody. Arriving in England about the middle of April,
the whitethroats disperse themselves pretty generally over
the country, and may be heard in most sheltered places, sucli
as woods, plantations, gardens, shrubberies, orchards, &c.
The song in a wild state begins with a long piano note,
which seldom catches the ear unless one is attentively listen¬
ing for it; this terminates on a short shrill passage, consisting
of several distinct arpeggios uttered rapidly, at the conclusion
of which the bird generally springs from its perch, makes a
short circuit in the air, and then settles again, to commence
afresh. Whitethroats are not difficult birds to catch; the
best bait for them is a living butterfly or caterpillar; they
soon become reconciled to confinement, and have been known
to commence singing the third day after capture. The
young may be reared without much difficulty, if kept warm,
and fed on bread soaked in hot water or milk, mashed up
into a paste with meal woi ms, ants' eggs, lean meat chopped
very small, or yolk of hard-boiled egg; they should be taken
before they are fully fledged, or they will be troublesome.
The parent birds will generally feed the young in confine¬
ment ; they may be readily caught by placing the nest, after
it is taken, in a trap cage; they will also perform the pa¬
ternal duties while at liberty, if the young are placed in
a cage close by the wires, through which they can be fed, and
hung near the spot from whence the nest was procured
Old birds of this species reared in captivity, require a great
deal of animal food; insects of all kinds they will eat, and
are especially partial to house flies. Elder and blackberries
should sometimes be given; those caught when old evince a
CAGE AN1) SINGING BIRDS.
43
more decided partiality for this kind of food than others.
Care should he taken to let whitethroats in confinement have
access to plenty of fine gravel, of which they swallow a con¬
siderable quantity ; they like to bathe two or three times a
day, and in warm weather should be allowed to do so. The
diseases to which this bird are subjected are pretty much the
same as those of the blackcap; it is a very desirable species,
as it appears to be little affected by the cold, and continues
in song- nearly all the year. A male bird which had been
in confinement eight or nine years, continued still as lively,
and sung as well as ever. The eggs of the whitethroat are
of a greenish white, spotted with olive-green, and dark ash-
gray. The nest is built near the ground, among roots of
trees and tall grass.
THE BABILLARD,
Sometimes called the whitebreasted or babbling warbler,
or lesser whitethroat, abides in this conntry from about the
middle of April to that of September. It is about five inches
in length, with a long, sharp, bluish black beak. The pre¬
vailing colours of the plumage are gray and brown, more or
less tinged with red: the outermost feather of each wing has
a wedge-shaped white spot, which is somewhat characteristic
of the species, although it is not always to be ibund. There
is nothing in the appearance of the sexes to distinguish them,
except that the head and feet of the female are rather the
lightest in colour; but this difference is so slight that it is
not noticeable unless the birds are together.
The favourite haunts of the babillard are gardens, and
woods in which there is plenty of thick underwood, and its
nest must be sought for in gooseberry or white-thorn
bushes, young fir-trees, or low thick shrubs. It is
made of fine roots and grass stalks, and sometimes lined,
says Bechstein, with swine's bristles. We have never seen
or heard of one so lined in this country, although
we know that hair is sometimes used. The eggs, usually
four or five in number, are of a grayish white, spotted and
patched with light gray and brown. Insects, larvae, and
small fruits, are the food of this shy and active little bird in
a wild state; may be captured in the same way as the
Fauvette, or in severe weather, by clearing the snow from a
44
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
space of ground, scattering therein a few meal-worms, and
placing limed twigs around it.
This bird has a harsh call note, resembling klap, klapf
klap! which it is fond of repeating, and hence in Germany
has been called the Little Miller; but it is a sweet songster
for all that; its notes, though weak, have in them much of
melody and variety; Bechstein says, surpassing in these
qualities all other warblers; but in this we cannot agree
with him. This author describes it as a very delicate bird,
but our experience does not lead to such a conclusion. We
have heard of its being kept through several winters without
appearing to suffer from the cold. This bird may be reared
from the nest, and fed upon bread and milk and bruised
hemp-seed, with a few insects occasionally. If carefully
tended it will become very tame and familiar, drinking milk
out of a spoon, and exhibiting the like marks of confidence;
and even returning to its cage after being allowed to fly in
the garden for awhile, and feast upon the insects. We have
known an instance in which the bread and milk plan of rear¬
ing has been tried and failed; the brood, three in number,
all died. A second experiment, made with four, in which
meal-worms and raw lean meat were used, was more suc¬
cessful.
THE ARBOUR BIRD.
This biid is also called the lesser pettichap, and is
one of the very earliest of the warblers which visit us
in the spring, having been noticed as early as the
12th of March. Although a small bird, being but five
inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures
two and a half, and delicate -looking, it must be in
reality a hardy bird, as it has sometimes to endure very
inclement weather after its arrival. On first coming to this
country, it resorts to the most forward trees in orchard,
garden, or coppice, where it may be seen flying briskly
from branch to branch, and picking out the larva of the
various kinds of beetles which infest the buds, uttering the
while the curious cry, which sounds like chiff-chuff chivy-
chavy, from whence the country people, in many places,
call the bird ckifi-chaff; it is also known as the least
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
45
willow wren, from the circumstance of its frequenting1 reeds
and rushes by river sides, where willow trees best flourish:
this it does for the sake of the gnats and flies which abound
there in the summer.
This bird builds a very elaborate nest of birch bark, dried
plants, cocoon silk, and wool, edged round the uppei mar
gin with feathers, and lined with fine grass stalks; the eggs,
about five in number, are at first of a light red colour, but
become darker after a few days; they are spotted with dark
red.
This is a difficult bird to catch, being exceedingly shy;
limed twigs round the nest, Bechstein says, is a sure but
cruel method : in autumn, springes baited with currants are
often successful. If reared from the nest, ants' eggs and
bullocks' heart, boiled and grated, is the best food. Care
must be taken to keep the younglings warm, and not
remove them from place to place, as, if they perceive a differ¬
ence in their habitation, they will frequently pine and die.
The old birds, when taken, may be turned loose in
the aviary; they will readily eat bruised hemp seed and
bread, or bread and milk, especially if some aphides, or
other tempting delicacy, be sprinkled over it. Bechstein's
account differs from this, as he describes the bird in con¬
finement a3 rarely eating anything except insects, and only
being induced, after much time and trouble, to feed upon
the nightingale's food. He speaks of it as not only a hand¬
some little bird, as in truth it is, with its plumes of gray,
olive, and yellow, but also a melodious songster, with notes
flute-like and varied, some of them being long-drawn and
plaintive, others short and sonorous. While singing, its
throat is very much distended. Its common call is Dak-
dak ! Feed-hoi! Feed-hoi!
THE WHINCHAT,
Sometimes called the furzechat. This is an active,
sprightly little bird, with a song naturally pleasing, though
quick and hurried. It arrives in this country in April, and
leaves it again somewhat earlier than most of the summer
migrants. It generally resorts to the commons and waste
places where furze bushes abound; it is also frequently
found 'e the outskirts of forests, and sides of ravines and
46
CAGE AND SINGING BlHDS.
woody declivities : its nest is built of dried grass, moss, and
vegetable fibres, and usually lined with feathers or hair,
sometimes both ; it is placed in a bank, among the tangled
oots of thorn, or other bushes, or under the thick covert ol
,he furze or g'orse, or in the meadow, closely concealed
beneath the rank herbage. The eggs are from five to seven
in number, of a greenish-blue colour. The whole appear¬
ance of this diminutive songster, which does not measure
five inches, including the tail, that being about an inch and
a half long, is curious and striking : the breast and all the
lower part of the body is a dirty white, powdered over, as
it would seem, with red brickdust: the back and wing-
coveits are a dark brown, tinged here and there with rus*
colour, and bordered with black ; on each of the latter is a
patch of white; the tail feathers are reddish or yellowish
white, with edges of black, which is also the colour of the
legs, bill, and cheeks; the top of the head is a mottled
brown, and a white patch extends from the base of the bill
on either side to the back of the head, giving to the bird a
frog-like appearance. The female is altogether lighter in
colour, and the white patches in the wings are smaller; di
each moulting, until the third year, a considerable different
takes place in the plumage of these birds: it is only after
this period that the back of the head and cheeks becorie
black, and the white stripe on each side broad and
distinct.
This is a bird easily caught, either by means of traps,
nooses, or limed twigs; the best bait is some living insect;
it is particularly fond of small beetles, earwigs, and but¬
terflies ; and food of this kind, occasionally, is absolutely ne¬
cessary to its subsistence in a state of confinement, where its
general food may be bruised hemp-seed and bread, in order
to induce it to eat which, when first taken, a few insects
must be stuck into the food. It is a delicate bird, and very
susceptible of cold, and one, too, which soon acquires the
notes of other birds. We have heard of an individual of
the species, which sang so loudly as to be quite unpleasant
in a room. Bechstein describes it as a quiet, melancholy
bird in the house, with a song much like that of the
goldfinch, and a call-note resembling the syllables qew
tza.
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
4?
THE STONECHAT.
This bird is one of our earliest summer visitants, arriving
generally about the middle of March ; its places of resort
are much the same as those chosen by the whinchat, and it
especially seems to delight in spots where there are stones
scattered, or in heaps, ruinous walls, and the like; amid
these it sleeps by night, and flits about by day, making a
haish clicking sound—hence its name, stonechat, or chatter.
Its natural song is short, lively, and pleasantly modulated,
and is often uttered during its flights from one heap of
stones or turf to another, or while hovering on the wing
over its nest, which is composed of grass, roots, and moss,
with a lining of hair, wool, or feathers, and generally placed
in a hollow in the ground under a wall or heap of stones, or
beneath the furze or bramble bushes: the eggs, five or six
in number, are of a light greenish-blue colour, very much
like those of the la-st species. The markings of this bird
are decidedly handsome, m some individuals especially so,
for they differ greatly, no two ever being seen exactly
alike. In the male bird, the head and throat are a
fine glossy black, as is also the upper part of the back,
where the feathers are edged with yellowish brown, as are
those of the wings, giving the effect of bronzing; in the
upper part of each wing-covert is a patch of pure white,
and also on each side of the neck; the breast is orange,
running off into yellowish white towards the vent; the
rump is white, with an edging of orange, and the tail
feathers like those of the wings.
The bird is about as large as the whinchat; but it ha?
a look of a more bold and decided character. Some au¬
thorities doubt whether it is a migratory bird with us;
certain it is, that individuals of this species remain through
the winter, but that the greater number leave for a warmer,
climate seems pretty certain. Bechstein says, that the
young, if taken, may be reared on ants' eggs, but that the
old birds seldom survive their capture long: they must be
fed and treated in every respect like the nightingale. In
this Sweet agrees with the German naturalist, recommend¬
ing bruised herep-eeed and bread, mixed up into a mow*
48
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
paste, .with a little lean beef or mutton, cut small, added tc
i.t. This should be previously soaked in water. He also
recommends for this bird an egg boiled hard, cut in two, and
placed in the cag'e for the bird to pick out the yolk itself
Insects of every kind are good, and the more the bird has
the better for its health and spirits. It is a pretty and loud
songster, and will sing frequently by night as well as by
day, and a good part of the year through. It is also a good
mimic; its call notes axe feed! and tzerh !
THE WREATEAR.
This is a larger bird than either of the two preceding
species, which it much resembles in its general habits and
character]'sties, being shy and retiring, and resorting to the
fallow lands and open moors, living, moreover, upon beetles,
flies, and other insects, and building its nest upon the
ground, under the shelter of gorse and bramble bushes,
large stones, &c. It may also sometimes be found in the
interstices of ruinous walls, fissures of chalk and g-ravel pits,
and hollows of sand banks, &c. The nest is composed of
grass, moss, and wool; and the eggs, five or six in number,
are of a delicate blueish green colour. The legs, cheeks,
beak, tail, and wing feathers of this bird are black, some of the
latter being edged with yellowish brown or white; the upper
part of the back, the neck, and top of the head are gray;
there is a narrow streak of white over the eyes; the under
part of the tail is also white, which gradually deepens into
a pale orange tinge, as it extends up the breast and throat,
where it fades into white again before joining the black
cheeks. A truly handsome and graceful bird is this,
and a very lively and interesting species, arriving in this
country in March, and leaving it again in September or
October, although they have been seen here as late a3 the
middle of November, flying about in search of insects, as
brisk and lively as though it had been the middle of
summer.
The young of this bird should be taken when nearly
fledged, and fed upon bread soaked in boiled milk, made into
a soft paste, and mixed with lean raw meat, scraped very
fine; or the yolk of an egg boiled hard. Experience goes
to prove that thev are scarcely worth the trouble of rearing.
WHITETHBOAT.—P. 42
WHEATEAB—P. 48
s"!\
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
49
as perhaps not one good songster inay be obtained out ol
half-a-dozen. Bechstein says, that only a very determinec
amateur would be at the pains of training a wheatear, taken
when full grown; with plenty of meal-worms and ants' eggs,
and great attention, it may be kept alive two years. The
best diet for it is nightingale's food, with all sorts of insects,
but no worms. Crickets and cockroaches the bird appears
to be particularly fond of, and these can generally be pro-
cured from a near-at-hand bakehouse. The winter song
of the wheatear is decidedly the best, and most varied; i'
is a very sprightly playful bird. Diarrhoea seems to be its
most fatal disorder.
THE DARTFORD WARBLER.
A pretty little lively bird this, about the habits of which,
either wild or in a state of confinement, scarcely anything
seems to be known. Bechstein does not mention it, ana
Sweet's directions for its management are only conjectural,
as he confesses that he never had one. Scarcely bigger than
a wren, of elegant shape, with a long graduated tail, and
plumage which, although mostly sober gray and brown, is at
once rich and harmonious. The Dartford warbler, so called
because first found in the neighbourhood of the town of that
name, in Kent, may sometimes be seen suspended, with
quivering wings, over the furze bushes, in the thickest of
which its nest is placed, or darting, quick as light, on its
insect prey, in those localities of this country which it is
known to frequent. The bird is believed to be a permanent
resident with us, and there seems no reason why an attempt
should not be made to introduce it into the aviary, where its
sprightly motions, and sweet song (which, though weak and
hurried in the wild state of the bird, could no doubt be much
improved by culture), would form an agreeable variety.
The best mode of management would be that recom¬
mended for the chats, to which the furze wren, or furzeling,
as it is sometimes called, is nearly allied.
THE GRASSHOPPER WARBLER.
This bird may sometimes be obtained of the dealers, undei
the name of the grasshopper lark ; it is, however, a rare
species, and scarcely worth the trouble and attention yo-
5
50
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
ouired to keep in confinement. Sweet captured an old bird
of this species in a nightingale cage, in August, and kept it
until the following February, hut could not get it to sing.
It thrived well on bread and hemp-seed, with yolk of egg
and insects; but, being allowed to bathe as often as it liked,
it so weakened itself that death ensued when the cold
weather came on. These birds build their nests in high
grass or sedge, and conceal them very artfully. The eggs are
white, freckled with red. They have a curious shrill cry,
resembling the chirp of a cricket; hence their common
name. The young ones are not difficult to rear: their
nest, when taken, should be placed in a little covered
basket, nearly filled with dry moss or hay, and they
should be fed frequently, with the same kind of food as is
recommended for the old birds, care being taken to keep
them clean, and add to. their food a few small gravel stones
occasionally.
THE SEDGE WARBLER.
This is by no means an uncommon bird with us: its time
of arrival in the country is the beginning of April, and it
departs in September. It is a pert, lively-looking bird, with
a tail rather long and slightly rounded. Brown, more or
less shaded with black, is the general colour of its plumage;
the breast and belly are a yellowish white ; across each side
of- the head runs a streak of white, which takes in the eyes
and gives the bird a particularly knowing appearance.
Marshes and swampy grounds, where the reeds and rushes
lbrm a thick and close covert, are its favourite places of
resort; here it hunts for its insect food, and builds its some¬
what bulky nest, loosely constructed of grasses, and lined'
with finer materials of the same nature, and occasionally a
litile hair; sometimes the nest is suspended between three
or four tall reeds a foot or two above the water. It may
also be found among willow trees and drooping birches when
they grow in situations frequented by the bird; the eggs
are of a greenish white colour, dotted and freckled with
light brown and gray; they are generally five or six in
number.
The song of this bird consists of a variety of notes, souifl
of which are surnrisingly loud for &uch a tiny warbler. It
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS. 61
sings throughout the whole day, and may frequently be
heard late into the night with its chit, chit! chiddy,
chiddy! chit, chit, chit! It may be readily caught in
a nightingale trap, baited with a living caterpillar or a
butterfly. It is a lively bird, and shows scarcely any symp¬
toms of fear, soon becoming friendly with those who treat
it with due gentleness.
It should, when first caught, he put into a large cage or
aviary with other small birds, and supplied with plenty of
insect food. It may be induced to eat the bruised hemp-
seed and bread, by the mixture therewith of flies, cater¬
pillars, and maggots; the yolk of egg, boiled hard and
bruised up with water, should he given it occasionally. The
bird is very fond of bathing, and, in the summer, may be
allowed this luxury ad libitum; but in the winter, only
once a week, and that in the morning. If properly managed,
the sedge wren, as it is sometimes called, will sing nearly
all the year through. Bechstein says nothing about this
bird.
THE REED WARBLER.
Between this bird, which is sometimes called the reed
wren, or the marsh reedling, and the sedge warbler, there is
a very close resemblance both in appearance and habits.
Brown gnd yellowish white are the prevailing colours of its
plumage, and there is the same streak on each side of the
head. It dwells, while here, chiefly among reeds and
rushes, by rivers and in marshy places; there it builds its
curious nest, shaped like a long bag or pocket, of dried grass
and the seed vessels of the tall aquatic plants to which it is
suspended, some feet above the ground or water, so that it
rocks about in the wind like a hammock; the eggs are
greenish white, spotted with olive brown and gray. Beqh-
stein says that this bird may often be caught by taking up a
turf, and placing limed twigs over the spot, with a few meal
worms for bait; and, according to Sweet, it may readily bi
taken in a trap baited with a small moth or green cater¬
pillar, especially about August and the beginning of Septem¬
ber, when it resorts to the gardens and dung-heaps, where
the house flies, of which it is very fond, are coming out ol
the pupa state in great numbers. When first caught, thi
62
warbler should be put into a cage with some tame birds, or,
if confined by itself, it should be placed near a ca,ge with
another in it, as being wild and restless, without leathered
company, it will seldom live. It will soon become reconciled
to its fate, and will grow in time very sociable and familiar.
It must be tempted to eat the bruised hemp-seed and bread,
by insects sprinkled over it ; when accustomed to this, there
is no more trouble with the bird. Like all the warblers, it
requires a good proportion of insect food, and is fond of yolk
of egg. It delights in bathing, and should have plenty
of water for the purpose if the weather is warm, but not
otherwise, except just now and then. At the season of
migration, these birds, like many others, become very rest¬
less, and will frequently injure themselves in attempting" to
escape; they should, therefore, be carefully watched: at
such times it is best to have the cage or room in which they
are confined, darkened for awhile, till the restless fit is over.
Bechstein describes this species as a rather agreeable song¬
ster, with a melody like that of the arbour bird, though
scarcely so full and rich: it is almost free from those harsh
wiry notes which grate on the ear in the song of the sedge
warbler, like which it sings both early and late in the day.
THE WILLOW WARBLEB,
Or willow wren, arrives in this country towards the end of
April, and remains till the end of September. It inhabits
woods, thickets, and gardens, and may be found in most
localities; it builds a neat nest of moss and leaves, lined
with feathers, and arched over; this is generally placed in
the lower part of a thick bush, or among the tall grass
beneath it; the eggs are six or seven in number, spotted
with violet on a whitish ground. If any young birds are
taken to rear, those which have the yellowish plumage should
be selected; the best food for them is bread and milk, with
anta' eggs, so says Bechstein, who describes it as a clean
lively bird, with most attractive manners and an agreeable
song; its call-note, hoid! hoid! is almost constantly
heard. It is a good fly-catcher; and after making a dart at
one of these insects, always returns to the perch to eat it.
To accustom the bird to the common food of the aviary, a
few flies should be mixed therewith: it is fond of ants' eggs
CAGE AND 8INGING BIRDS.
58
both fresh and dry, soon becomes accustomed to the hemp-
seed and bread or the universal paste, and appears less delicate
than many other birds of its genus. In spring it may be best
taken by means of limed twigs, baited with meal-worms; in
summer by the water-trap, and in autumn by nooses baited
with blackberries, of which, in a wild state, it is very fond.
One likely mode of capture, is a trap, in which a fine
caterpillar has been placed, or a rose branch covered
with aphides, a favourite food of the bird. It has been
described as very tame in confinement, taking flies out of the
hand of its master, drinking milk out of a spoon which
he held, perching on his finger, and giving other tokens of
confidence and affection; it is fond of nestling up to the
other birds for the sake of warmth, and its song is so
loud and shrill that it may be heard above all the others; it
sings, too, the greater part of the year through. Mr. Sweet
had a hen bird of the species which sang very frequently,
but her strain was different from that of the male.
In the plumage of this bird, which is sometimes called
the hay bird, there is a tendency to green and yellow in the
tints, which distinguish it from the hedge and bush war¬
blers, to. which, in its markings and general conformation,
it bears a considerable resemblance; it also has the curious
white patch on either cheek, which seems to be almost
characteristic of one division of the warbler family.
THE WOOD WARBLER,
Or wood wren, as this species is frequently called, is a
very beautiful bird, about five inches and a half long, of a
slender and graceful shape. In the green tint of its plumage
it resembles the willow warbler; but the markings are
more distinct; the edgings of the wings and tail-feathers are
clearly defined; the throat and neck, and sides of the head,
are of a bright sulphur yellow; and the breast and under
part of the body of a pure white. The term elegant ie
the most appropriate that could be applied to this bird,
which makes, perhaps, the shortest stay in this country
of any of the warblers, arriving about the middle or end
of April, and frequently leaving again by the end of
August. Bechstein does not mention the bird ; but Sweet
speaks of it as by no means uncommon here during the
54
CAGE AND RINGING BIRDS.
period mentioned. He says that he has never observed
it in any other situation than amongst tall trees, or
woods and plantations, where its presence may he readily
detected by its shrill shaking kind of song, which is unliko
that of any other bird, and may be heard at a great dis¬
tance. It sings nearly all day long, except when engaged in
feeding its young, when it may be discovered by a mournful
kind of call, quite peculiar to the species. Led by this
call we may, by cautiously approaching, find out the nest,
which is generally placed on the ground, in a thicket of
tangled bushes. It is built of moss and dried leaves, and
covered over the top, so that one may almost tread upon it
without observing the little structure, in which, at the pro¬
per season, will be found some five or six eggs of a white
colour, dotted with purplish red. The young birds may bo
reared by hand without much difficulty, if taken when
almost fledged, placed in a basket with covers, nearly
filled with moss, and fed upon meat, bread, and bruised
hemp-seed, with which should be mixed occasionally some
small bits of raw lean meat; by way of variety a littk
bread and milk, and yolk of egg, should sometimes b&
given, and a drop or two of water be let fall into their
throats. They must be kept clean and warm;" and, as
soon as they are properly fledged, fine gravel must be
mixed with their food; this supplies the lime necessary to
harden their bones, and prevents the liability to cramp. No
oird of the warbler genus is better worth keeping than
this; it feeds readily upon the hemp-seed and bread, with
raw lean meat; also on bread and milk and yolk of egg,
and is fond of flies, moths, caterpillars, aphides, and most
other insects.
There are several other song-birds, which are placed by
some naturalists under the generic term sylvia; but which
<<,re not generally considered to belong properly to the war-
oier genus. One of the most familiar of these is,
THE COMMON WREN,
Of which no description is necessary, as everybody knowi
the pert little Jenny, with her cocked-up tail, and busy
inquisitive look. Not every one, however, has seen her
nest, although many have; and such as wish to do so must
CAGE AMD SINGING BIRDS.
«eek for it in the crevice of an old wall, the hole of a bank, or
i hollow tree. Amid closely-twisted ivy stems, under piled
ogs of wood, or heaps of stones, it may be often found;
and although it is well concealed, yet a little patience will
enable you to detect its whereabouts, if there are young
birds in it, for the parents, one or other, will keep passing
in and out with food for the clamorous chirpers. The
nest of the wren is of an oval shape, with the entrance at
the side; it is generally built of moss, and lined with
feathers; the eggs are about eight in number, of a pure
white colour, sparely dotted with light red. Young wrens
should be taken when they are stump-feathered, as they
leave the nest before they ure fully hedged. They must
De carefully covered up, for they are delicate birds, and a
chill will most likely be fatal to them ; they should be
fed on white bread, soaked in boiled milk, with a few meal¬
worms or ants' eggs. After a while they should be put
into a net cage, and, when old enough to feed themselves,
into one made expressly for such small birds, with the wires
very close together. The same food as above will do for
the birds when full grown; also hemp-seed and soaked
bread, with raw and cooked meat, boiled carrot or cauli¬
flower, and an occasional feast of elder-berries, and other
pulpy fruits.
In autumn, says Bechstem, old wrens are frequently
caught in springes baited with elder-berries, and in winter
in a tit-trap baited with meal-worms. Sweet advises a
limed twig on the end of a fishing-rod, and as these birds
allow of a very near approach, this mode is often successful.
As soon as caught, the wrens should be fed on meal-worms
and elder-berries sprinkled over the nightingale paste,
which, by this means, they will be brought to like. They
do bes* several together in a large cage, or at liberty in a
room, in which, during the winter, there should always be a
fire by day. A number of small boxes, nearly filled with
fine moss, placed about the room, make good sleeping-
places for them. The wren in confinement is a lively and
engaging bird; it sings loudly, and nearly all the year,
though it seldom lives more than two vears.
66
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN.
This diminutive songster, which is the smallest of Euro*
pean birds, is, like the common wren, a permanent resident
with us; it is to be found chiefly in the dark pine woods
and plantations of larch trees, spruce firs, and the like,
where it suspends its beautiful nest to a bough, generally
far up, and amid the long sweeping foliage, which effec¬
tually conceals it from observation. One must be a good
climber to have a chance of obtaining the nest of the little
lively gold-crest, whose motions are so quick and restless
that one seldom obtains a good view of him in his
sylvan home; he has a coat of olive green, and on the
top of his head are some flame-coloured feathers, bordered
on each side by black; the hen bird has more of sober gray
in her plumage, and her crest is not so deep of colour; she
lays seven, eight, or nine, very tiny eggs, of a delicate flesh
colour, in her warm thick nest, closely woven of moss, and
lined with the silk of cocoons, down of the thistle, and other
soft substances. The best chance of rearing the young is to
ireat them in the same way as those of the common wren.
If the old birds can be limed on the nest, or otherwise
caught, you will only have to supply them with food and
they will most likely do well.
Young gold-crests should not be fully fledged when they
are taken, or they will prove very troublesome. Bechstein
says that they are easily reared on meal-worms cut small,
flies, ants' eggs, and wheaten bread soaked in milk; and he
recommends as an easy mode of catching the old birds, a
limed twig on a rod, as directed for the last species. They
come, he says, in great numbers to the water-trap, and by
their repeated cry of tzitt! tzitt I indicate the approach ol
sunset. He tells us, too, that although delicate birds, they
will yet, when used to confinement, live long in that state.
Insect food is absolutely necessary for them, and care must
be taken not to make their food either too moist or too stiff;
neither must they be allowed to touch rape or camelia seed,
as either of these would immediately kill them; a green¬
house well warmed and ventilated, or a trellised inclosure
with a small pine tree in the centre, is a good place for
hem; they look pretty in a bell-shaped cage, and thi?
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS
5?
seems to suit them very well. Wherever they are, warmth
is a great desideratum for these lively and interesting little
birds, which are melodious although winter songsters, capital
fly-catchers, and the sprightliest creatures in existence. It
is well to give them a lump of fresh earth once a week
to pick about.
THE REDBREAST.
This is another very common bird, which we need n
trouble ourselves to describe, for old and young, rich ana
poor, are alike familiar with the robin,—" the household
bird with the red stomacher." This is one of the
birds which does not properly belong to the warbler
genus, although called by some naturalists sylvia rubicula.
It is so tame and familiar a bird, even in its wild state, that
few care to keep it in confinement. It comes and goes in
and out of the house as it pleases, and sings its native wood
notes wild, and feeds close to our doors and windows without
fear or suspicion. We can hear its sweet and well sustained
warble almost whenever we please, be it summer or winter,
without the trouble of rearing it; and see its little compact
form and crimson breast "any day of the year? without the
necessity for shutting it up in a cage or aviary. Let it go
abroad and enjoy itself with its feathered congeners; let it
make love, and fight, as it will be pretty sure to do, for a
pugnacious fellow is Bobby ; let him make a feast of insects,
or earthworms, or berries of some sort, when he can get
these dainties, and when he cannot, let him come to you and
be fed with crumbs, and the refuse of your table; let him
and his plump little bride build a loose nest of lichens, and
lining it with fine grass, hair, or feathers, place it in some
snug- out-of-the-way hole or corner on the ground, may be
in a deserted mole-hill, or rabbit burrow, or under a heap of
stones, or among- tangled roots, and then, in due course, if
you peep in cautiously, you may see four, five, six, or seven
tiny eggs, of a vellowish white colour, spotted and striped
with orange, and. tinged with light brown at the thick end.
By and by these will be gone, and you may count in. the
place of them as many little moving lumps of yellow down,
that keep opening their beaks and crying " give! give!" as
plain as thoy can speak. When these are more fully fledged
OAOB ADD SIHOINO BlRljfi.
they will be of a gray colour, with just a tinge of yellow,
and not till after the first moulting will they become red on
the throat and breast, and look, indeed, like robins. If you
are determined to take them and make prisoners of them, do
so; tend them carefully, feed them upon bread soaked with
milk, with some chopped earth or meal worms, and place
them, when old enough, under the tuition of a nightingale,
and they will make splendid songsters. And if you will
attempt to capture the old birds, these are the methods
which are most likely to be successful. Should it be in the
spring, insert sticks, to which limed twigs are attached,
transversely into the hedge, then drive the birds gently
towards them; or, better still, place a decoy in a cage on
the spot; or clear a space of grass, and place limed twigs
over it, dropping in meal worms for bait. At this season,
too, the nightingale, tit, or water trap may be successfully
used. In autumn, set springes, baited with elderberries,
but be careful to remove the bird as soon as possible after
it is caught, or it will get injured in the struggle for free¬
dom. Robins may also at this season Jbe readily caught in
trap cages, especially if a decoy-bird is used. Bread
crumbs, meal or earth worms, and elderberries, if in season,
should be given to these birds when first caught, afterwards
they can live on the common aviary food; they thrive best,
however, on that recommended for the nightingale. Care
must be taken not to put two male robins together, as they
will be sure to fight until the weaker is killed. They re¬
quire plenty of water, being fond of bathing. Those which
are confined in cages sing better than those turned loose in
the aviary; almost any kind of cage will do for them,
They become very tame, and may be taught a variety ol
tricks.
LAKES AND PIPETS.
We have ,riere classed together two families, or rather
genera of bir is, which have many natural affinities. Among
;hem are s weral species remarkable for the variety and
compass of their notes, and which are therefore highly
valued as ca $e birds. The best known and prime favourite
of thorn is
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
59
THE SKYLARK,
Field lark, or laverock, as the Scotch call it, is a permanent
-esident on the British islands, over which it is so generally
distributed, that there is hardly a locality, however bleak
and barren, in which it may not be seen soaring spirally
upward in the sunshine, and heard singing that blythsome
song which it is so inspiriting and delightful to hear. This
fine songster must rather be called a handsome than a
beautiful bird; he has no gaudy colours to attract the
eye, but his stout, well-proportioned form is clothed in a
suit of brown and gray and dusky white; the crest of
feathers on his head, which he can erect or depress at
pleasure, give him a brisk and somewhat jaunty appearance,
and his quick restless eye is full of fire and animation, if not
dimmed by the loss of health and spirits, resulting from a
too close confinement, and the want of proper food.
The nest of the skylark, the bird which soars and sings
so far up in the heavens, is always built on the ground, and
the strains which he pours forth so rapturously are meant
for the ears of his little brown mate there, sitting among the
long grass or the green corn stalks, as quiet and sedate as if
she heard not the song, cared not for the stongster. But
she does both hear and care, and her speckled breast throbs
with pleasure as the shower of melody is rained down all
around her, till every blade of grass, and leaf, and swelling-
ear, seem to flutter and dance to the joyous music. But
hush ! the song is ended, and the fond bird descends, not as
he went up, slowly, and with a circular motion, but quick,
and straight as an arrow, or a stone let fall from an unseen
hand; and he drops, where ? right upon the threshold of
his loosely woven nest, in the hollow where there are some
four or five gray and brown freckled eggs, on which he
means to sit while his mate goes forth to stretch her wings
and cramped legs, and take her meal of young ants, or ants'
eggs, or caterpillars, or any small seeds or insects that may
come in her way.
Young larks must be taken from the nest before they are
fully fledged, or it will be a difficult matter to catch them;
fchey may be fed on the paste made with bread and milk,
with a little poppy or rape-seed mixed; but their natural
diet, ants' eggs, if they can be procured, is best. The
60
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
yellow tinge of the plumage distinguishes the young males
from the females. Their musical education ought to com¬
mence very early, as they begin to practise, or " record " their
natural song before they are quite fledged; they easily
acquire the notes of other birds, and may be taught to
whistle almost anything; if they are to learn an artificial
song, a chaffinch or a nightingale is the best master.
Old larks are most commonly captured by means of nets,
which in the daytime are set up on poles, and the birds
driven into them, and at night are drawn over the grass or
stubble fields where they are sleeping. In this way great
numbers of Dunstable larks, which have a high reputation,
are annually caught and sent up to London, where they are
sold to the dealers for four shillings per dozen. Care must
be taken to put young larks into nets, and not wire cages, as
they have a great propensity for leaping, and would be
likely to injure themselves. The old birds should be put
into store cages with wooden bars at first, and fed on oats,
hemp or poppy seed, with meal-worms or maggots; after¬
wards they may have bread-crumbs, crushed oats, or barley
meal; lean meat, cooked and minced; worms, flies, and
other insects, with chickweed, lettuce, cress, and cabbage
occasionally. They must always be supplied with clean
sand in a saucer to dust themselves with, and a fresh turf
of grass or clover twice a week, or so. They have very
long claws, which should be carefully cut and attended to.
They are subject to all the diseases which afflict cage birds,
and yet frequently live many years in confinement. Bech-
stein says that the average duration of their life in this state
is eight years, and that they have been known to live as
long as thirty years. This author speaks of a malady by
which these birds are frequently attacked, and which shows
itself by the skin at the root of the beak becoming scabby
and yellow ; his remedy for this is abundance of good food,
especially the second universal paste, varied with ants' eggs,
worms, and a little green food. He also notices the differ¬
ence there is in the musical powers of individuals of this
species, the song of some being much sweeter and stronger
than that of others; some, again, will continue to sing for
a much longer period than others. A very curious circum¬
stance connected with the history of this bird in confinement
61
is, that the hen will sometimes lay eggs without having any
connection with the male. One, in the possession of a friend
of Bechstein's, laid every year as many as from twenty to
twenty-five eggs, but could never be induced to sit. Larks
will breed in confinement, if kept in garden aviaries, where
they can have plenty of fresh air and exercise; in a cage or
room they are not so likely to breed, but will do so some-
times
THE WOODLAIIK.
This is a very melodious songster, not so loud and shrill
as its more familiar congener last described; hut generally
most prized by amateurs in bird music, on account of its
rich and flute-like tones. It is but two-thirds the size of
the skylark, that is about six inches in length, and it closely
resembles that bird in the colour of its plumage, and gene¬
ral markings. It has the crest erectible at pleasure, and
the long hind toe, so characteristic of the true lark. It is a
plump, compact little bird, haunting the thick hedges and
leafy woodlands, often in the neighbourhood of cultivated
lands, and often too in more wild and solitary districts.
Thus on the brown northern moors, and at the skirts of the
Grampians, these birds are frequently found, and being
early breeders, generally laying their first eggs about the
end of March, their young often perish in cold and incle¬
ment seasons. Woodlarks remain in this country the year
through; but they are shy birds, and by no means very
common even in the comparatively few localities which they
frequent. They do not congregate in flocks like the sky¬
larks ; even in hard weather one seldom sees more than a
family party of six or seven at the same time. At such
times they hava a particularly mournful cry, resembling
the syllables lu lu, long drawn out, hence the scientific name
of the bird, Alauda lulu. Their food then is small seeds,
grain, and such green herbage as can be got at; in summer
they feed chiefly upon insects, both in the pupa and larva
state. The woodlark's nest is generally placed upon the
ground, beneath a low bush or rank herbage, among the
roots of a treo where the primroses and violets peep out
iyom their mossy beds to see if the summer is yeo come.
02
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
Occasionally it may be found under a fence or old park«
paling, or among the feathery fern, or the trunk of a
fallen tree; the materials are small root fibres, grass, and
sometimes a little hair. The eggs are four or five in num«
ber, of a reddish or yellowish white, inclining to brown,
with spots and specifies, and occasionally a few wavy lines
of rusty brown, or dark reddish gray; the second laying
generally takes place in July, after which the song of the
bird is seldom heard in the fields or woods. The female
woodlark is the handsomest bird of the two, the colours
being darker and clearer, and the markings more distinct,
than in the male. Purchasers should look to this, as the
dealer's word is too often not much to be depended on.
Young woodlarks, when taken from the nest, should be
nursed on ants' eggs, and bread soaked in milk. It is best
to get the parent birds also, and this may be easily accom¬
plished by putting limed twigs on the nest, or going with
a night net, after some mark has been put to indicate the
exact spot, and so enclosing the whole family. In winter
limed twigs, or a net, over places cleared from snow, and
baited with insects, will often effect the capture of wood-
larks. In spring, a good decoy-bird, to lure them to
the trap, may be used with advantage; or a tame bird or
the same species, with a forked twig, smeared with bird¬
lime, attached to it; in this way you will be pretty
sure to capture a male. Newly-caught birds of this
species should be put into a . store-cage, and fed upon
ground hemp and poppy seed, with ants' eg-gs, meal-worms,
maggots, and raw meat; and this kind of food, with bread¬
crumbs, and occasionally bullock's-heart, boiled and grated
sweet curds, oats, and malt crushed, may be given to them.
They will eat the universal paste, but should not be kept
too closely to it. It has been found of advantage to give
them now and then a little powdered chalk; and they
should always have a good supply of clean, fine sand, in a
vessel sufficiently large for them to roll in. About once a
week, too, they should have a moist fresh turf, which
cleanses and preserves their feet, that appear to be especially
liable to disease. Bechstein remarks, that this bird seldom
lives more than a year in confinement, a broken leg being
generally the cause of death. In his opinion it is superior at
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
63
a songster to all birds whatsoever, except the chaffinch and
nightingale.
THE TITLARK,
Titling, or meadow pipet, is a well-known species in this
country, where it remains all the year, frequenting wet
meadows, moors, commons, and pasture-lands chiefly,
although it is to be found in nearly all- situations. It has
more of an olive tinge in its plumage than the lark proper,
so to speak; and .the spots on its white breast are remark¬
ably distinct, and extend far down the lower part of the
body, the whole length of which is about six inches and a
half, including the tail, which is short. Bechstein, who
calls this the smallest of the German larks, gives five inches
and a half as the length; but this does not appear to be
quite correct. His description of the bird otherwise so
closely corresponds with the well-known British species,
that we cannot hesitate to apply his remarks and directions
thereto.
The titling, in whose nest it is said the cuckoo most
frequently deposits her single egg, builds early in the
season, and uses for her materials dried grasses and root
fibres, with hair for lining ; her eggs are four or five in
number; they vary much both in size and colour, but are
usually of a brownish white or gray, spotted and freckled
with purplish gray or reddish brown. The nest is often
placed on a grassy bank; sometimes beneath a bush or tuft
of herbage. It is always on the ground, and generally well
concealed. This is one of the birds that will feign being
wounded, to entice the spoiler from its young brood, which
should be taken before they are fully fledged, and fed on
oread soaked in milk, mixed with poppy-seed and ants'
iggs; they are very docile, and soon acquire the notes
of other songsters which they hear, especially those of the
canary.
Grown titlarks may be captured in spring by means of
limed twigs over the nest, or attached to a decoy bird. In
autumn great numbers resort to the oat stubble, and mnv be
there taken in a night net. Up to September, the wacer-
trap is tolerably successful. It is a difficult matter to get
them, when freshly caught, to take the common food of the
64
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
aviary, and they require plenty of insect food mixed with it,
such as meal-worms, grasshoppers, and small beetles, to
which they are very partial. An ordinary lark's cage is
best for this bird, which does not dust its plumage, but
sprinkles it with water taken up in its beak. It is not a
good songster, but an amusing bird, and remarkaoly neat
and clean in its habits. In confinement it sings from Febru
ary to July
TITS,
These are all small birds, some of them not more than
four inches in length, the largest scarcely so big as the house
sparrow. They are mostly insectiverous; hut do occasion¬
ally feed on seeds, llesh, and various other substances.
Woods and thickets are their favourite haunts; but severe
weather often drives them into the vicinity of human habita¬
tions : hence, it may be interred, that they are not migra¬
tory. There are no more active, lively birds than the little
tomtits, as they are commonly called; and in hunting for
insects among the trees, they assume all sorts of strange
attitudes. Their flight is bold and rapid, and their natural
cries shrill and unmusical; some of them, however, turn out
pretty good songsters in confinement, and on this account, as
well as for their beauty of plumage, and lively engaging
manners, they are valued as cage birds.
THE OX-EYE,
Or greater tit, may be considered as the chief of the family.
It is abundant in the wooded districts of this country, where
its shrill notes may be heard at the distance of half a mile.
It has gay party-coloured plumes of black, blue, yellow,
and white, well befitting such a harlequin of a bird. Its nest
is made in any hollow or cavity that comes to hand; it must
be tolerably deep, and is usually high up from the ground;
if one cannot be found suitable for the purpose, the bird will
make or enlarge a hole in the decayed trunk of a tree, and
tnere deposit its eggs, about six in number, of a bluish
wuite, spotted with reddish brown. Moss, leaves, shreds of
bark, wool, hair, and feathers, forjp the materials of the nest
CAttK AND SINGING BtltDS.
65
Sometimes the eggs are laid on the dust of the wood alone.
If the birds are not disturbed, they will frequent the same
nesting spot from year to year.
Tit-catching is considered, by those who follow it pro¬
fessionally, h very amusing sport. The most successful
methods are,—First, a caged call-bird, placed upon the
ground, with sticks having limed twigs attached, planted
obliquely over it; if a shrill whistle, made of the hollow
wing-bone of a goose, be blown near the spot, it will attract
all the tits in the neighbourhood. Second, a trap baited
with nuts, bacon, or oats, placed in a tree in a garden; the
birds will be more readily attracted if the trap rest on a
layer of oat straw: winter time is best for this means of cap¬
ture. Third, nooses baited with elder and service berries;
they must be of horsehair, or the bird will sever them with
his sharp conical beak, and so escape. Fourth, the water-
trap, where captures may be looked for from seven to nine
o'clock in the morning, and from four to five o'clock in the
afternoon.
The song of the ox-eye, in confinement, is described by
Bechstein as varied, and exceedingly melodious, consisting of
a frequent repetition of the syllables, Si-tzi-da ! Stiti, stiti !
intermixed with the double call, Fink,Jink! Tzitzeer! He
thinks that ox-eyes, if reared from the nest, would be found
very docile, as the old ones evince great readinesb to adopt
the songs and call-notes of other birds. They may also be
taught to perform curious tricks, such as drawing up food
and water with a chain, &c.
The ox-eye is by no means a delicate bird, but will eat
almost anything; it is particularly fond of nuts of any kind,
also of meat, lard, and even tallow. It is fond, too, of
bathing, and likes plenty to drink. With care, it will live in
confinement from eight to ten years. It has been observed,
that those kept in a close cage, and fed too much upon hemp-
seed, are subject to giddiness ; it is best to let them range
the room or aviary at times; but only after they have been
well fed, as if pressed by hunger, they will attack and kill
other birds, laying open the skull, and sucking out the
brains, to which they are exceedingly partial. Bird sellers
say that ox-eyes with these carnivorous propensities, are dis¬
tinguished by their forked tails; but this is a fallacy, a]-
F
66
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS
though there is no doubt individuals of the species differ
greatly in disposition.
THE COLE TIT.
This bird, although generally distributed through Great
Britain, is not common in any locality ; it is neither so large
nor so gaily-coloured a bird as the last species, than which it
is more shy. It builds a nest of the same materials as those
used by the ox-eye, but often in situations nearer the ground,
sometimes in the hole of a mouse, rat, or mole. It is a
pretty, lively bird, constantly hopping and fluttering about,
out is difficult to keep in health; and having no connected
song, only a number of harsh ringing notes repeated many
times in succession, is scarcely worth keeping, except as one
of an interesting family group.
THE BLUE TIT.
This is the funniest little mountebank of a bird that ever
mortal eyes beheld; with his bullet head, and short thick
body, apology foi a tail, and no bill to speak of, he is here,
and there, and everywhere, whisking about in his elegant
suit of blue, green, white, and black, bold and feailess,
caring for nobody, not even his mortal enemy, the gardener,
who keeps his gun ready loaded for his especial benefit. A
sad pilferer is the blue tit: dreadful havoc he makes among
the buds; but it is the "worm i' the bud" that he seeks,
which would destroy it if the bird did not—so the little
fellow is not so mischievous after all. When we consider
what a number of insects he destroys, we may well believe
that he does more good than harm. The haunts and habits
of this little bird are so much like those of the preceding
species, that we must not occupy space by describing them.
Its beauty and liveliness are its only recommendations, as it
is no songster.
THE MARSH, THE CRESTED, AND THE BEARDED TITS
Are other members of this beautiful and lively family of
birds of which no particular description need be given.
Bechstein includes them in his work, but we have never
seen them as cage birds in this country; neither of them are
songsters, any more than is
Blue Tit.—P. 60
Long-Tailed Tit.—p. 67
Bunting —P. 67
cage and singing birds.
6?
the long-tailed tit,
f Mufflin, oj , as it is more generally called, the Bottle
it, from the peculiar shape of its large nest, which is generally
'tached to the branch or bole of a tree with which it
ssimilates in colour, so as to escape observation. This is an
itremely beautiful bird, not uncommon here, and yet but
jttle known. We have never seen it in a cage or aviary.
Dr. Liverpool says that he has often endeavoured to pre-
ferve it in confinement, but without success. A pair of old
Birds which he caught in a trap cage were shy and ob-
Itreperous, and would eat nothing but insects, and of such
food alone sufficient could not be procured for them, so that
ftliey soon died.
FOREIGN BUNTINGS.
There are several species of buntings brought from
abroad, which, on account of their rarity and beautiful
plumage, are highly valued. We will enumerate them in
their alphabetical order, giving such particulars of them as
it may seem desirable for the amateur to know.
THE DOMINICAN BUNTING.
This is a rare and costly bird, a native of Africa; it is
about six inches and three-quarters in length, has a red
beak, gray feet, a black head, with a patch of orange-white
on the top, which runs down either cheek, and is diffused
over the whole lower part of the body ; the neck, back, and
wing feathers, are black, edged with white ; the tail is also
black, and has the two middle feathers pointed at the tip,
and about two inches longer than the rest. Some of the
tail feathers, too, have white tips, with an orange tinge on
the outer web. The female is very different, being of an
uniform brown colour, with no inequality ot length in the tail
feathers. This bird has a pleasing song: it should be placed
in a large bell-shaped cage, lest it should injure its beautiful
plumes, and fed upon canary seed, millet, and barley grits,
with green food occasionally; it moults twice a year, and
often loses its chief ornament, the long1 tail feathers. After
each moult, too, the colours, especially the white, become
less pure.
THE INDIGO BUNTING
Is a native of Carolina; it is about the size of the siskin
68
CAGE AND SINttlNG BIRDS
that is, six inches in length; the whole of its plumage is ft
beautiful shining blue, being mostintenseatthetop of the head:
the beak is of a lead colour, the feet brown, which tint also
appears in the larger pen feathers and the tail. The female
is more sober-coloured, something like our common linnet, as
is also the male while moulting-, at which time, however, he
may be distinguished from the hen by a grayish hue on his
wings. These birds are often seen in spring in the orchards
and gardens of New York. They should be kept in a bell-
shaped cage, and fed on millet, canary, poppy, and bruised
hemp-seecl. Their song resembles that of the linnet.
THE PAINTED BUNTING
Is a native of all the warmer parts of Canada, and extends
as far south as Mexico, Brazil, and Guiana, although it is
not found in Carolina, at a distance of less than 130 miles
from the coast. This bird is somewhat more than five
inches in length, and the colour of the plumage varies
greatly in accordance with age, acquiring its full splendour
only after the third year's moult. The upper part of the
back and scapulars are then yellowish green ; the under
part, with the rump, and all the lower portions of the body,
red 5 the small wing coverts violet brown, with a red tinge, and
the larger ones pale green; the pinion feathers are brown,
some with red, some gray margins; the tail is also brown,
the two centre feathers changing into red at the extremities,
and the rest margined with the same colour. The feet and
beak are brown, the former with a grayish tinge, and the head
and neck a rich violet, which tint is assumed in the second
year, when the rest of the plumage is bluish green, except the
wings and tail, which are brown, bordered with the former
colour. In addition to these changes, the birds moult twice a
year, so that two individuals are seldom seen exactly alike:
some are met with; which have all the lower parts of the body
yellowish, except a red spot on the breast, which, in the
moulting season, changes to white. These birds have a soft,
pleasing song; they have been induced to breed in aviaries
in which there were orange trees, to which they chiefly
resort in their wild state. The proper food for them is
millet, poppy, and canary seed, with endives; thus fed and
carefully tended, they will live for ei^ht or nine years.
CAGT» AND SINGING BIRDS.
69
THE SHAFT-TAILED BUNTING.
It is from the coast of Africa that we derive our supply
of these rare and beautiful birds, which, exclusive of the
four middle leathers of the tail, are only about five inches
and a half long-; these feathers are from nine to ten inches
long- only about two inches of the extremity being- webbed,
the remaining- length being but bare quills, giving the bird
a very peculiar appearance. In winter, this bird is gray,
somewhat like the linnet, only brighter, but in other seasons,
all the side of the head, the neck, and the lower parts of the
body are yellowish red; the upper part of the body is black,
and spots of the same extend up the back of the neck; the
under part of the thighs and vent are also black; the beak
and feet are red, and the tail feathers brown and black.
The female is a plain brown bird, and is without the longer
feathers of the tail, which give to her mate so distinguished
an appearance. These birds should be treated like the
other foreign buntings ; they are lively and agreeable pet3,
and good songsters.
O a
THE WHIDAH BUNTING.
This, too, is an African bird, and, perhaps, the most
beautiful of the family; its name, say some, is'derived from
Whidah, a fortress in Angola, about which it is commonly
found. Others call it the Widow, because it has much of
black in its plumage; this sombre tint, which extends over
the head, chin, front of the neck, back, wings, and tail, is,
however, greatly relieved by the light orange white and
flesh-colour of the back of the neck, belly and thighs, and
feet. The main peculiarity of the bird, which is about the
size of a linnet, is its enormously long and singular tail,
the four outer feathers of which are very broad, and about
four inches in length ; the two next are thirteen inches long,
broad in the middle, and narrowing towards the ends till
they come almost to a point; the two centre feathers of the
tail diverge somewhat from the straight line, and are glossy,
like those of a cock: thread-like filaments project from the
ends of the longer tail feathers, and float about with every
motion of the bird, which is exceedingly lively, and takes
great delight in bathing- and trimming its feathers; it has
70
CAGE AND SINGJNG BIRDS.
a low, soft song-, rather sad, hut agreeable on. the whole. It
requires a large cage, and must he fed on canary seed,
millet, and baifey meal, with green food; it will live in con¬
finement from six to twelve years.
FINCHES.
Most of the birds that are commonly called finches, be¬
long to the great passerine or sparrow family. They are
nearly all stout, yet active and lively birds, mostly grega¬
rious, and living much upon grain and seeds; they are the
neatest of builders, and the nests of some of them are per¬
fect models of bird architecture. We shall speak first of
the British species, and then of those which are not indi¬
genous to the country.
THE GOLDFINCH,
Or, as some call it, the Red-fronted Thistlefinch, is too
well known to need a description. It is an elegantly-formed
and beautifully-coloured bird, with a very sweet, natural
song, and great power of imitation, and is, therefore, an
universal favourite. No aviary would be at all complete •
without Master Goldie, or Goldspink, as the Scotch call
him; and where only two or three birds are kept he is
pretty sure to be one of the species. He is the great rival
of the canary in the affections of most bird-fanciers, and it
is difficult to decide which of the two has the advantage as
regards vocal powers; while for tractability, and the facility
with which it may be taught sundry amusing tricks, the
goldfinch, we imagine, has the superiority. In its wild
state it usually resorts to gardens, shrubberies, and plan¬
tations, where it builds a nest, beautifully round and com¬
pact, of moss, lichens, grass, and other materials, lining it
with the down of tliistle-seed, or other fine filaments,
usually vegetable. The eggs, about five m number, are of
a grayish blue, sparingly spotted with purplish gray or
;;.pEqwn. The nest is placed at a considerable height from
tfie. ground, often in an apple or pear tree. Goldfinches do
not feed their young with insects, but, like the purely
granivorous birds, with grain and seed moistened in the
crop. When taken to be brought up by hand they should
be fed on white bread-crumbs soaked in milk, and squeezed
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
71
dry. To the stiff paste thus formed let a little poppy or
well-soaked rape-seed be added. They require great care
and attention.
The full-grown birds may be fed on canary, rape, poppy,
and other seeds; some hemp-seed may be given when the
birds are breeding', and groen food occasionally at all times.
Lettuce or cabbage leaves, groundsel, and watercresses, are
most relished by them. Bechstein says, that if allowed to
range the room they will feed freely on the second universal
paste j and that one which he had, although refusing to
touch an insect, would eat freely of whatever came to table,
both meat and vegetables. The goldfinch is a great eater,
and will drive from the feeding-trough other birds which
attempt to approach, unless they happen to be of the same
species or especial favourites. Bird dealers divide gold¬
finches into several varieties, distinguished by the colour
of the plumage. Bechstein mentions five of these varieties,
as follows:—1st, the yellow-breasted; 2nd, the white-
headed; 3rd, the black-headed; 4th, the white; 5th, the
black goldfinch. The last, he says, are altogether black,
which may be the result of age, or the immoderate use of
hemp-seed; or it may retain a yellow spot upon its wing,
In this country the only varieties generally distinguished
are the u speckled birds/' which have a white spot under
the throat; the " bastard whitethroats," which have a
streak of white half-way down; and the " whitethroats,"
or " cheverels," having the streak quite down to the breast.
These last are scarce birds, and usually fetch a high price,
which they really are not worth, as their song is no better
than that of the other varieties. Before their first moult¬
ing, goldfinches do not get the bright crimson hue on the
head ; they are, therefore, called " graypates," and these
are the best birds to purchase, if you have a good songster
to place them under.
These birds should not be kept in a bell-shaped cage,
nor in any cage in which the perches are very high, as they
are apt to become giddy; the best-sized habitation for them
is one about ten inches long by seven or eight wide, and
the same high. If allowed the range of a room, a small
tree should be provided for perching in, or a place separ
rated by a grating. They are not, generally speaking)
72
CAGE AND SINGING BtltPS.
healthy birds, although Bechstein says they have beet
known to live from sixteen to twenty-four years in confine¬
ment. Epilepsy is the disorder to which they are most
liable; they are often afflicted with inflamed and swollen
eyes, which may be cured by an application of fresh butter.
If allowed to indulge too freely in hemp-seed, stupor and
giddiness is sometimess the result; a diet of soaked let¬
tuce and thistle-seed will generally remove this. An occa¬
sional supply of the latter food will always contribute to
the health of this bird, which in old age becomes blind, and
loses the bright red and yellow colours of its plumage.
Goldfinches may be caught by means of a bundle of
thistles in seed, smeared with birdlime, and fastened to
a tree, or by means of springes placed among growing
thistles; they may also be taken in a net; but they are
cautious birds, and must be carefully approached.
Of their attractive qualities we have, perhaps, said suf¬
ficient, yet another word or two upon this subject we must
find space for. They may be taught to go and come at
command, ring a bell, feign death, and do anything which
a feathered performer can accomplish. They are exceedingly
lively birds, and sing at all seasons, except during the
period of moulting.
THE SISKIN, OR ABERDEVINE,
Sometimes called the Black-headed Thistlefinch, is a bird
not much seen in this country, except in autumn and winter,
when large flocks of them may be observed feeding upon
the seeds of the thistles and other composite plants, and ako
on those of the birch and alder trees. In point of beauty,
the siskin will bear no comparison with the last species,
although it possesses this recommendation in a high degree;
the prevailing colour of its plumage is a yellowish green,
elegantly marked and shaded with black; it is a neat little
bird, with a short tail and stout Conical beak; the top of the
head is altogether black, hence one of its names. The
proper home of this bird appears to be the North of
Europe; but it also breeds among the pine woods of the
Scottish Highlands, building a nest of grass stalks,
root fibres, moss, and lichens, which it lines with hair, fur,
wool, or feathers, as they chance to come*to hand; the eggs
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
73
We of a pale greenish white, spotted at the thicker end with
purple and brown; the nest is net generally placed very
high up in the branches. Bechstein speaks of this as a
u well-known cage bird in this country it is by no means
so, although certainly a desirable species for the aviary; for
although its native song is a mere twitter, yet it readily
learns the notes of other birds; and, like the goldfinch, is
very tame and teachable.
Our German authority tells us that, in his country, the
siskins are the most easily caught of any birds. Those who
live by brooks, bordered by alders, can almost put their
hands out of the window and take them—so careless, or so
eager, are the little feeders. A decoy bird, with a cage, or
trap, or limed twigs, will a, most seasons suffice to effect the
capture of as many as maj be required. Bechstein likens
the continuous chirrup of this bird to the noise made by a
stncking-loom, and says the weavers like it on this account ;
its continuous utterance appears to subserve a good purpose
in the aviary; for we are told that it excites all the other
birds to sing. The loss of liberty affects this bird but
little: it will begin to eat directly after being caught, and
become quite tame in a day 01* two ; it will live from eight
to twelve years in confinement, and will breed with the
canary : if the latter be a green bird, very handsome hybrids
will frequently be produced. The siskin, if loose in the
room, will feed on the universal paste; poppy, hemp, and
■ct'her seeds may also be given; it is a greedy bird, eating
more than a chaffinch, although smaller, and fighting for pos¬
session of the seed-box like a little fury. It frequently dies
of epilepsy, and sometimes of repletion. It requires a good
supply of water for bathing.
TIIE CHAFFINCH.
This is another well-known and highly-prized songster,
with the training of which more trouble is taken in Germany
than, perhaps, with that of any other bird whatever ; it is a
common species in this country, where it permanently re¬
sides, keeping pretty much in the woods and thickets in
spring and summer, and feeding upon insects and larvae;
but as the severe weather comes on, congregating in flocks,
and coming nearer to the dwellings of man, searching for
74
<?AG\E Ar«X» al^OiNG tflKDS.
food in the hedges, the gardens, and the farm-yards. It ia
a handsome bird, stoutly, but by no means clumsily made,
and the colours of the plumage, although not brilliant, are
yet so diversified and arranged as to produce a very pleasing
effect. We need scarcely give a more minute description of
the Shilfa, or Shellapp'le, as it is often called, for most
persons have seen a chaffinch, and heard its sharp troink,
twink! and more lengthened tweet, tweet, tweet! terminating
sometimes with churr-ee ! Its wild notes are soft and mel¬
low, but have little variety; they are first heard very early
in the year, for Chaffy seems at all times ambitious to open
the vernal chorus, and to make a start before any other of
the feathered musicians have got their instruments in order.
A curious circumstance connected with the natural history
of chaffinches is, that the males and females separate during
the winter, and resort to different parts of the country;
hence the scientific name ccelsbs, or the bachelor, applied to
this bird.
A truly beautiful piece of workmanship is the nest of the
chaffinch—neat and compact, and closely woven of a great
variety of materials, according to the situation it occupies,
as it generally closely assimilates in colour with the object
against which it is placed, such as the trunk of a tree, or
against a wall to which a fruit tree is nailed, &c.; the eggs
are four or five in number, have a few spots and irregular
lines of reddish brown, upon a ground of purplish white or
grey. Plenty of young birds may be obtained at the proper
season; they should be taken as soon as the tail feathers
have begun to grow, for they are precocious fledglings, and
very soon acquire the wild notes of their parents, of which it
is difficult afterwards to break them. Birds, like hoys,
always remember best what they ought not. They should
be fed upon the usual food for young birds, and will most
likely do well on it until the moulting season, when great
numbers usually die. A diet of ants' eggs will greatly
assist them at this critical period of their prison life; those
which pass through it will most likely be strong birds, and
?ery tame.
Old chaffinches may be lured to the barn-floor trap, or to
limed twigs in the spring and autumn, by a good decoy; in
winter, nets placed over cleared spaces on which oats are
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
73
scattered, will have the desired effect. The chaffinch is a
very jealous bird, and birdcatchers avail themselves of their
knowledge of this to effect, his capture : they place a tame
cock on the ground, fasten him to a peg, and surround him
with limed twigs, or, perhaps, attach one of these twigs to
the tail of the decoy; in either case, the wild bird, which
flies furiously down as soon as he hears the cry of his sup¬
posed rival, becomes entangled in the snare. Chaffinches
which are caught about St. James's Day, are called in Ger¬
many " James' finches these young birds are mors hardy
m constitution than those taken from the nest, and pro¬
vided they have a good memory, and will learn to sing, they
are the most valuable birds.
Wonderful is the patience and ingenuity displayed by the
Thuringian foresters in the training of chaffinches, and mar¬
vellous stories do we hear of strophes and anti-strophes, ana
trills, and double trills, and wine songs, huntsman's songs,
and bridegroom's songs, and all sorts of apocryphal me¬
lodies, into which the music of these highly educated per¬
formers can be divided. Now, we do not mean to say that
the twelve different strains, with varieties, which Bechstein
describes, exist only in the imaginations of German bird-
worshippers, but we do affirm that it must be an exces¬
sively nice musical ear that could detect those trills, and
shakes, and warbles, which are said to mark the difference
between the aforesaid strains, in those trained chaffinches
which have come to us from the old "fatherland." Pro¬
bably, it requires a metaphysical brain, and senses more
delicately attuned than we possess; or it may be that the
best birds are kept at home, and the story of the Thurin-
gian's going eighty miles in the mere hope of snaring a
good bird, and giving a cow in exchange for a trained
singer, gives some look of piobability to this latter sup¬
position. Be this as it may, however, it must be confessed
that a well-educated chaffinch is a beautiful songster, and
a very desirable acquisition to the aviary. With the
French it is a great favourite, and they have a proverb—
"as gay as a chaffinch," which expresses their sense of
its lively and engaging qualities.
Wild chaffinches feed upon seeds, gram, and insects, the
first of which they generally shell before eating them; in
76
CAGE ATI© SINGING BIRDS.
confinement, they may be fed the year through upon sum¬
mer rape-seed, which should be well soaked in water before
it is given : they are very fond of hemp-seed; a little about
once a week, is good for them : they should also occasionally
have groundsel, and other green food, and a few ants' eggs,
or mealworms, which are a great treat. When moulting,
bread and milk should be given. Those that have the run
of the room or aviary, will take the universal food, with
bread crumbs, meat, oats, and a variety of other things;
they should be provided with a fir bough, in a warm
corner, for perching, or a space separated by a grating.
They sing best, and most continuously, in cages, which
should not he lofty, but rather wide and long, as the birds
do not fly up, but like to pass backwards and forwards, and
be able to turn quickly. When there are several cages in a
room, they should be hung so that the birds cannot see each
ther, or their attention will be diverted from their song.
The whole secret of obtaining a good singer, says Bechstein,
8 to keep the cage in a dark place, and he recommends that
the young birds taken early in the spring, shall be so kept
until the month of May, by which time they will have
learned their artificial strain.
It has been asserted that the chaffinch has no natural
song of its own, and that it cannot imitate perfectly the
song of any other bird, yet Bechstein speaks of wild
chaffinches, which have a very distinct and perfect song; and
few as are the notes of those indigenous in this country, yet
they have sometimes continuity and modulation sufficient to
form a very pleasing strain. And with regard to the
powers of imitation possessed by the bird, they seem to be
equal to those of most other finches. With the exception
of the canary and the nigh ting , there are few songsters
which they cannot very closely follow, their patience and
docility rendering them good, if not over-quick learners.
It has been noticed as a remarkable peculiarity in the
chaffinch, that every spring it seems necessary for it to
relearn its song; this process is called recording, and consists
in the broken utterance of chirpings and mutterings, so to
speak, of detached notes and short passages of the appa¬
rently forgotten melody; from one to four weeks is the
time occupied in this recording, and those are esteemed the
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
77
best birds which get through it the most quickly. It
appears that a want of flexibility in the muscles of the
throat and larynx after some months of disuse, is the cause
of this, and not any want of memory. Chaffinches have
been known to live in confinement twenty years; they fre¬
quently become blind, especially if fed too much on hemp-seed,
but this does not affect their song, indeed, they rather sing
the better, so that the barbarous practice of blinding them
with a red-hot needle is sometimes resorted to; this cannot
be too strongly reprobated.
THE GREENFINCH,
Greenbird, or Green Linnet. This, like most of the otner
finches, is a handsome full-bodied bird; it is a common
species in this country, where it is much more frequently
seen in a wild than a domesticated state. Bechstein and some
other naturalists call it the Green Grosbeak, on account of
the large size of its thick conical bill. The plumage of the
full-grown cock is very beautiful, being chiefly bright olive
green, shaded and marked with darker green and yellow.
In the spring and summer, greenfinches resort chiefly to the
sheltered copses and plantations; their nest, built of small
roots, moss, and straw, lined with feathers, hair, or fine
vegetable down, is neatly woven, and placed in a low bush,
or evergreen, the ivy against a wall, or a tree with forked
branches : the eggs are from four to six in number, of a
bluish white ground colour, with spots of purple, gray, or
brown j they are early builders, and generally produce two
broods in the year. The young birds should not be taken
until they are nearly fledged. Bread soaked in milk, with
a little raw meat scraped, or cut very fine, is the best food
for them ; they are excessively greedy, and must be carefully
Ted, or they will injure themselves. The plumage of both
sexes is at first a greenish gray, but a slight yellow tinge-
generally distinguishes the male. If put under good tuition
they will become agreeable songsters, although their natural
notes are weak, and by no means melodious. They are very
docile, have good memories, and sing nearly the whole year
through. If pains are taken with them, they may be taught
to go and come at command, and perform many amusing
tricks. The old birds shpul4 be fed upon rape-seed arm
78
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
green food, with a little hemp-seed now and then, especially
at the moulting season; they are also fond of juniper berries,
and if loose in the aviary will do very well on the universal
paste. It is, however, rather a disagreeable bird to its fellow
prisoners, on account of its greediness, which prompts it to
mount guard near the food, and deny access to all weaker
or more timid birds.
Greenfinches pair readily with canaries, and tliey are good
sitters, but the males are, in general, neither remarkable for
beauty nor musical powers.
Three distinct varieties of this species are spoken of by
dealers, viz., the great, the middle sized, and the small
greenfinch; in the first a rich yellow is the predominating
colour, the second has it of a lighter tint, especially in the
under part of the body, in the third it is more green than
yellow : these variations, we think with Bechstein, may be
all ascribed to age.
THE HAWFINCH,
Or Common, or Black-throated Grosbeak. In appearance
this is bydio means an attractive bird, having all the cha¬
racteristics of the grosbeak family in a somewhat exagger¬
ated degree; it has a short stout bill, stumpy tail, large
head, and clumsy body; the colours of its plumage, also,
are dull and heavy, and its natural notes harsh and disagree¬
able. Its only recommendation in a state of confinement
appears to be its great tameness; this is all that even Bech¬
stein can urge in its favonr. If kept in a cage, it should be
fed on rape and hemp-seed, with green food, and various
kinds of berries, on which it chiefly feeds when wild, hence
its scientific name, Cocothraustes, the berry-breaker; if in
the aviary, the universal paste will do for it, with an occa?
sional change as above.
The hawfinch is naturally a very shy bird, and has, there¬
fore, been thought much more uncommon in this country
than it really is. Once supposed to be wholly so, it is now
ascertained to be only partly migratory ; it frequents the
beech and other coniferous trees, and generally perches upoK.
the highest branches, and keeps a sharp look- out upon all
comers. Its nest has been most frequently found in the
vicinity of Epping Forest; it is composed of decayed leave*
cage and singing birds.
79
and lichens, with a lining of fibrous roots and hair; the eggs
are of a pale olive, spotted and streaked with black and
dusky brown—they are five or six in number.
the bullfinch.
This is another very inelegant bird, as regards shape, but
then it has great beauty of plumage, great vocal powers, and
many admirable qualities to recommend it; hence Bully is a
Iirime favourite with bird-fanciers, and has to undergo a
ife-long imprisonment, and to learn a variety of accomplish¬
ments, which, if his own will were consulted, he would much
rather be without. Bullfinches are permanent residents in
this country, and although tolerably plentiful, are but rarely
seen, on account of their shy retiring habits: to find their
nests, one must search diligently in the thickest woods and
forests; it is neatly made of small twigs and moss, with a
lining of root fibres; the situation chosen is amid the
thickest lower boughs of a fir or other tree, or in a hawthorn,
or some close bush, four or five feet from the ground ; the
eggs are from four to six in number, of a bluish white,
spotted and streaked with violet brown. The searcher will
frequently be directed to the spot by the low sweet desultory
warble of the male bird, which thus lightens the labours of
its sitting mate; at the slightest noise, however, this will
suddenly stop, and the singer will drop into the close covert
of the bush, or tree, on which he was perched, and remain
silent for awhile. Authorities differ as to the age at which
young bullfinches should be taken. Bolton, in his " Har-
monia Ruralis," says, they should be but four days old, for
if left, as Bechstein recommends, till the ag'e often or twelve
days* they will acquire some of the harsh notes of the parent,
which they will never again lose. Others say, do not take
them till they are nearly fledged, and this is what we should
feel disposed to recommend, rather than risk the removal of
the birds at such an early age. White bread and milk, or
buckwheat meal, with soaked hemp-seed, is the best food on
which to rear them. The plumage of the young birds is of
a dingy ash colour, with dull brown spreading over the
wings "and tail j the males may, at a very early period, be
distinguished from the females, by a faint red tinge upon the
breast; the latter may he taught to whistle, hut ti-ey want
80
CAGE AND HINGING BIRDS.
both the beauty and docility of the former; in the place of
the brilliant red which renders the male bullfinch so conspi¬
cuous a bird, they have but a dull reddish gray ; they are
smaller of size, too, and altogether less attractive.
You must begin to whistle to young bullfinches the tunes
you wish them to learn, as soon as they are taken, for al¬
though they do not begin to pipe until they are able to feed
themselves, yet they will be storing up the notes in their
memory. Recollect, too, that the lessons should be given
immediately after they have been fed, for if at all hungry
they will not pay any attention to the " voice of the
charmer, charm he never so wisety." Bechstein says, that
the course of instruction must be continued for three quarters
of a year, or the lessons will not make a sufficiently deep and
lasting impression ; there will, by and by, be a confusion of
different airs, a transposition of notes, or, it may be, that at
the moulting season the whole will be forgotten, except some
floating and shifting disjecta membra of a tune, which the
bird were better without. Those patient, plodding people,
the Germans, take immense pains in the instruction of bull¬
finches. Dr. Stanley has given an account of their semina¬
ries, where, it appears, the birds are divided into classes of
about six pupils; food and music are administered together,
so that the associations are naturally pleasant ones; the
birds are kept much in the dark, until they begin to repeat
a few notes of the strain whistled to them, that their atten¬
tion may not be diverted ; by degrees, as they learn, so light
is admitted to them, and each bird, as it becomes sufficiently
advanced in its education, is taken out of its class, and placed
singly, under the care of a boy, whose duty it is to grind
away on his bird organ, from morning till night, the parti¬
cular airs in which the bird is to become a proficient. In
some of these bullfinch schools a starving system is adopted:
the teachers go upon the principle of " no song, no supper,"
and give their pupils food and light as a reward for singing,
and not as an incitement to sing : we know not which plan
succeeds best, but would rather advocate the first. There
are some very accomplished bullfinches that will whistle, or
pipe, as it is called, three distinct airs, and these fetch high
prices—several pounds have been given for such; generally,
nowever, a single tune, with a short prelude, is as much af
CAOK AND SINGING BIRDS.
81
the little musician can manage, and this should be repeated
to him frequently at the time of moulting, or he may chance
to forget it, or drop a note here and there, and so" mar itu
harmony.
But the bullfinch, we all know, can do other things than
pipe; he can perform many pretty and amusing tricks—will
come and go when told, balance his body backwards and
forwards as though he were dancing, spread out his tail like
a fan, eat out of the hand or mouth, and in various ways
manifest an attachment to those who are kind to him,
stronger, perhaps, than that shown by any other bird; the
soft nute-like notes in which he pipes his acquired melodies,
are quite expressive of his gentle and amiable disposition.
Bechstein mentions—as curious varieties of this species
which may be sometimes seen in the aviary—the white,
black, and speckled bullfinches; the first of these is white,
with a gray tinge, or pure white, with a few spots of black
on the head; the second is wholly black, and this is generally
a hen bird, which has been kept when young in a dark place,
or a bird, either male or female, which has been fed too
exclusively on hempseed. Some individuals of this variety
when they mpult resume their original colours, others re¬
main black, and the black, too, differs greatly in intensity j
with some it is deep and glossy, with others dull, smoky, or
rusty; occasionally the belly is more or less red, in one in¬
stance the wings and tail were white. The speckled variety
may be either white or black, with spots of the opposite
colour.
A hybrid variety is mentioned, being a cross between a
hen bullfinch and a cock canary ; in form and plumage it
somewhat resembles "both parents, and is a delightful song¬
ster, not so loud as the canary, but with notes more soft and
mellow. This is a very rare bird, it being difficult to breed
and rear such.
Then there are three so-called varieties which are distin¬
guished as large, middling or common, and small bullfinches,
the first being about the size of a thrush, the second of a
chaffinch, and the third considerably smaller; these, how¬
ever, Bechstein believes to be only accidental variations,
having, as he says, seen birds differing as greatly in size as
any of these, which were taken at one time from the samt
82
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
nest. Bullfinches in confinement—if they range the aviary,
which, being quiet inoffensive birds, they may be allowed
to—will do very well on the universal paste, with now and
then a little rape-seed. If kept in a cage, they should be
fed chiefly noon rape and other seed, taking care to soak the
hemp first, and not give too much of it; a little plain bis¬
cuit soaked is also good for them, and occasionally water¬
cress, lettuce, a piece of apple, and service or other berries.
Bullfinches are easily captured by one or other of the
methods prescribed for other finches, especially if a decoy
bird be used; they will live eight years or more in confine¬
ment, and are rarety ill. Those which are reared from the
nest appear to be much more delicate, seldom living beyond
six years, and being subject to many ailments, such as cos-
tiveness, epilepsy, diarrhoea, for which they must be treated
like other birds. They sometimes mope and sit apart with
ruffled plumes, and should then be fed only on soaked rape
seed. For the moulting sickness they should have good
food, ants' eggs, and a rusty nail in their water.
FOREIGN FINCHES.
Among the imported song birds are some very beautiful
and admired species belonging to the finch family • of these,
we shall presently give a description. But we must first
speak at some length of a well-known relative of theirs,
which occupies, as it were, an intermediate position between
them and the native finches ; for although originally a
foreign bird, and still, to a great extent, an imported one,
it is so widely diffused through, and so constantly bred in
this country, that it can scarcely be considered an alien. We
allude, of course, to
THE CANARY FINCH,
Called by Linnaeus, Fringilla Canaria, because it first
came, as is generally supposed, from the Canary Isles, where
the species is still found in abundance, singing very sweetly,
although not, perhaps, so scientifically as their richly-
attired, and better instructed relations. Voyagers tell us
that these wild birds of the Canary Isles have mostly gray
plumage, and this vans to a considerable extent
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
83
some of the domesticated varieties, which, as we shall by
and by show, are rather numerous. White, gray, yellow,
green, and brown, of different shades, and in varying- pro¬
portions, are the common colours of those birds bred in
confinement; how the changes have been produced, it is
now impossible to say; climate, food, and intermixture of
breeds, have, no doubt, each and all had some effect in pro¬
ducing them, as by a careful attention to these matters, the
latter especially, breeders in the country may now calculate
with a tolerable degree of certainty on the kind of bird they
are likely to have from certain parents, under certain cir¬
cumstances. With regard to climate, it has been remarked
by Adamson, that the canary, which becomes in France
nearly white, is, at Teneriffe, almost as brown as our linnet,
and this agrees with the general observation of naturalists,
that the covering of animals, be it fur or feathers, becomes
thicker, and lighter of colour, in proportion to the coldness
of the climate which they inhabit. We should not, how¬
ever, lay too much stress upon this argument, for in this, as
in all other northern countries in which they reside, canaries
are so sheltered and protected from the weather, that we can
scarcely imagine it to have much effect upon the economy
of their growth and structure; and then, too, the prevalence
amongst us of the darker-tinted birds—greens, and cinna¬
mon browns, and the like—militates considerably against this
theory. After all, we must leave the subject pretty much
as we find it, and confine ourselves to results, leaving causes
to be inquired into by the learned and curious inves¬
tigator.
The exact date of the introduction of the canary into this
country is not known; it is mentioned by Gesner, who wrote
in the latter part of the sixteenth century, and first de¬
scribed by Aldrova.ndus, in his " Ornithology," bearing date
1610; the bird was then esteemed a great rarity. Accord¬
ing to some authors, the island of Elba was the first
European ground on which the canary found a resting-
olace. A ship bound for Leghorn, they say, having on
board a number of the sweet songsters, foundered near this
island, on which the birds, set at liberty by the accident,
found a refuge, and the climate was so congenial to their
nature, that they remained and bred, and would, probably,
84
CAGK AND SINGING BIRDS.
have been found there to this day, had not their beauty
and melody attracted the attention of bird-catchers, who
hunted'them so assiduously, that not a single specimen was
left in the island. From Italy the birds soon found their
way into France and Germany, from the latter of which
countries, and the Tyrol, we now derive our principal supply.
Canary breeding and teaching is there conducted on a very
large scale, and in accordance with well-established rules
and principles; and persons from those countries annually
visit England with trained songsters, which fetch from five
shillings to a guinea or more each.
The breeding of these birds is also carried on to a con¬
siderable extent in this country; and very many fine birds,
possessing all the requisites of song, shape, and plumage, to
perfection, are every year produced by those, chiefly me¬
chanics and small tradesmen, who devote their attention to
the subject. The birds which carry off the prizes at the
annual canary shows held in London in the month of No¬
vember or December, when the birds of that year are what
is called " moulted off clean," and are in full feather—are
usually home-bred. Canary societies have existed in this
country for upwards of a century, hut it is only within the
last fifty years that they have, like the floral and other
societies, had annual shows and competitions for prizes.
Their canons of criticism may be thus briefly summed up.
They recognise two grand divisions in show canaries, that is,
" gay birds," or " gay spangles," and " fancy," or " mealy
birds," the first being plain, most like the original stock, and
the last, variegated; this also includes the "jonques," or
"jonquils," as the yellow birds are technically called: the
varieties of these two grand divisions are almost innu¬
merable, nearly every year producing a new one, which, like
a prize flower, is in high favour, until displaced by some
fresher beauty. Every season has its fashionable bird, as
well as its fashionable bonnet; and a proud man is he who
has bred, or who owns the favourite for the time being: this
prize bird is usually selected as the model for the next
year's show, and extraordinary pains are taken by the
breeders to produce one which shall equal, if not excel, the
feathered champion in its good points; this, at all events, is
a more innocent kind of rivalry than horse-racing", or cock-
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
AS
fighting", but, like all hobbies, desperately ridden; even bird-
fancying", sometimes, runs off into extravagancies; thug,
immense prices have been given for prize canaries, by men
who could not afford to speculate in such uncertain ware, and
larger expenses are often incurred in the breeding and
rearing of these beautiful songsters than was warranted by the
chance of a return, and the means of the breeder; still, if
not carried too far, this cultivation, so to speak, of feathered
songsters, is an innocent as it is a most agreeable pursuit,
and may often be rendered profitable. But this is a digres¬
sion from which we must return, to observe that amid all
the changes of taste and fashion, there are certain standard
properties which are always considered essential to the
gaining of a prize, and even to admission to the com¬
petition for one. The first property considered in the
show bird is the cap, which must be of a good colour,
large and regular; the second is richness and purity of
colour in the cap, and throughout the whole plumage;
the third has regard to the wings and tail, which must
be black quite home to the quill; the fourth relates to
the spangle, which should be distinct, the preference being
given to the golden ones; the fifth consists in size and
elegance of shape. Besides these properties there are what
are called additional beauties, not essential to the winning of
a prize, but giving the bird a better chance of doing so.
These are also five in number, as thus:—Pinions for size
and regularity; swallow and throat for size; fair breast for
regularity; legs and flue for blackness. In explanation of
this it may be remarked, that from the beak to the back of
the neck is called the cap, and this should be of a clear
orange colour, full and rich in the ground, and with black
edges to the feathers; the feathers on the loins, or the
saddle, as it is sometimes called, as well as those of the
breast, must be free from black, while the wing's must have
no admixture of any other colour. No bird can fairly com¬
pete for a prize that has not black on the stock or web of the
Dack, flight, or tail feathers, or that has less than eighteen
flying feathers in each wing, or less than twelve in the
tail. A bird without pinions is considered preferable to a
Dird with one pinion only. To the bird which has all
these requisites and beauties in the greatest perfeo-
86
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
tion the prize is awarded. Canary societies generally con¬
sist of from twelve to eighteen members, each of whom on
entrance puts up two or three pairs of fancy birds, and de¬
posits a certain sum on each, and this forms the fund for
the prizes, and for carrying on the operations of the society.
It should be mentioned that no canary that is above a year
old is eligible for a show bird, and that Norfolk and York¬
shire are the counties from whence, just before Christmas,
the largest supplies of home-bred songsters are sent into the
London market. These are generally ordered by the dealers
just as any other commodity would be, and sometimes many
thousands arrive in the course of one week. For some time
past the Norwich birds have borne the palm for beauty of
colour, trimness, liveliness, and freedom of song. Those
from Yorkshire are not so handsome, either in form or
plumage, neither are they so trim and sprightly ; but they
are stronger birds, and generally more steady and har¬
monious songsters. Holborn is the great canary quarter of
London; in and about St. Andrew's Street every third or
fourth house is occupied by a dealer, and those who desire
to possess a first rate singer, should visit that classical spot
as soon after the arrivals from the country as possible. It is
best to go by gaslight, when the birds are all on the qui vive.
A few shakes of a rattle, made of a wooden box with some
peas inside, will set them off, and when once the concert is
commenced each will strive to outdo the other, so that you
will be able to judge of their powers. Do not, however,
decide too hastily, and examine the bird on which you fix
your choice before purchasing. It may, perhaps, have
some defect in the plumage, which would deteriorate its
market value, although in no degree diminishing its worth
as a songster merely. Should the defect be merely a damaged
tail, it can be easily remedied : you have only to draw the
defective feathers, ar.d their place will soon be supplied with
new ones. Be sure to see that the legs and feet of your
bird are clean and perfect; and do not leave it to be sent
home, but take it away with you, if you have to buy cage
and all. You ought to get a good bird for about five shillings,
and if you do this you can afford to give a shilling or so for
the cage to take it home in. Some dealers will allow you to
leave a deposit, to be returned when the cae-e is re°*""ed.
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
8?
In your Ghoice of a bird do as William Kidd recommends;
" Sacrifice colour to accomplishments • you will never repent
*it. Nature seldom gives us rare beauty and great accom-
Dlishments united."*
When you have purchased a bird, carry it home as care¬
fully and gently as possible, having previously prepared for
it a comfortable mahogany cage, well furnished with seed
and water : into this you must let it step of its own accord,
as it will be very tenacious of being touched or handled, until
it has grown quite familiar to its new home and those about
it. Place a light in front of its cage, and the chances are
that it will begin to sing at once, especially if you provoke it
to rivalry, by whistling or playing some lively air. Kidd re¬
marks that, " The best trait in the character of the canary
•is, that he will sing place him where you may. These birds
very seldom show a sulkiness of disposition; and even if they
should do so, a single hemp-seed or a morsel of chickweed
will set all to rights in a momentand all experience goes
to show that this amiability of disposition is quite character¬
istic of this bird of the fortunate isles, whose nature appears
to be as sunny and genial as the clime from which it ori¬
ginally came. We will now speak of
VARIETIES OF THE CANARY.
These are, as we before observed, almost innumerable,
and many of them so closely approximate, that none but an
amateur could distinguish them apart; the following, how¬
ever, may be specified as well established and distinct
varieties : — 1, Common canary jinch, of a gray colour
with the down black, much like the wild birds of the
Canary Isles. These are considered the strongest and
healthiest birds ; they are about the size of a linnet, and in
some of them the upper part of the body is of a brownish
tint, as in that bird, the lower greenish yellow. 2, 8, Cray
canary finches—1st, with the down and feet white; 2nd,
with the tail white. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Flaxen canary finches
—1st, common; 2nd, with i d 3rd, having the plu¬
mage glossed with a golden hue, iih, having the down fair,
• Vide articles on song birds in Kidd's Own Journal, from which we
have derived much information cf a really practical nature.
88
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
or unmixed with black; 5th, with white tail. 9, 10, 11,
Yellow canary finches—1st, common ; 2nd, having1 no ad¬
mixture of black in the yellow down; 3rd, with a white
tail. 12, 13, 14, 15, Agate-coloured canary finches—1st,
common; 2nd, with red eyes; 3rd, with white tail; 4th,
with the down of the same colour. 16, 17, 18, 19, Yellow-
dun canary finches—1st, common; 2nd, with red eyes; 3rd,
glossed with gold ; 4th, down of the same colour. 20, 21,
22, 23, 24, 25, 26, Variegated, or spangled canary finches
—1st, common; 2nd, with red eyes; 3rd, of a fair, or flaxen
colour; 4th, the same, having red eyes; 5th, variegated
with black; 6th, with black and yellowr, red eyes; 7th, regu¬
larly spangled with black and yellow. 27, White canary
finch, with red eyes. 28, Pure yellow canary finch, colour
unmixed. 29, Crested canary finch, with crest of gray,
yellow, or black, and plumage various; perhaps the most
beautiful of these is a finejonque cock, with a full black crest.
In many of the above varieties, the gray and yellow birds
especially, the tints frequently run off into green, and in¬
cline more or less to black and brown. The agate, or cin¬
namon brown, are generally uniform in colour; but the
cream-coloured or flaxen are more so, and the yellow sort
more constant both in the same and different individuals.
In the variegated or spangled varieties, those of the jonquil
colour are most usually marked with black, and have a dash
of black about the head. There is a very beautiful variety
called the lizzard canary, which is of a greenish bronze
throughout, excepting the upper part of the head, which is
covered with a paten of clear yellow; the markings, or
spangles, on the back are perfectly uniform and regular.
This is considered by some to approach nearest to the
original stock. " The unsophisticated produce of nature
being," as a writer on prize canaries, in the Illustrated
News, remarks, u precise and geometrical."
None of the varieties here mentioned are what are called
Mule Birds, although it is likely that some of them may
have been produced by an intermixture of breeds, probably
spontaneous, with the serin and citril finches, which are
nearly allied to the canary, and are sometimes confounded
with it. To the produce of a union of these species the
term mule will not apply, as they are well known to h*
<e«lQE AND SINGING BIRDS.
89
prolific, which the cross-breeds of the hard-billed finches
of France, England, and Germany, with the canary, are
not. The best mule birds are those produced by the pair¬
ing of goldfinches, bullfinches, and linnets, with hen
canaries. The first kind are commonly very beautiful birds,
and, like the third, may be easily procured; the second are
much rarer, as, tractable as the bullfinch is, he does not
favour an intermixture of races. Some authorities maintain,
that it is best to have a canary cock and hen of the other
species for pairing, as the hybrids are likely to possess, in a
more eminent degree, the musical powers of the father.
Bechstein asserts that all these hybrids are capable of
propagating their kind; but that the eggs of the first year
are not much bigger than peas, and the young birds very
small and weak; this defect, however, he says, is less
observable in each succeeding brood.
CANARY BREEDING.
In the matching of fancy birds for breeding, and espe¬
cially of canaries, it should ever be borne in mind, that
the union of opposites are productive of the most harmo¬
nious results: thus, for example, a fine jonque cock, of a
strong, rich colour, with a considerable quantity of black
in his plumes, should be matched with a soft-coloured
mealy hen, with as little black about her as may be, only
noting that her tail and wings are true and regular; and for
a strong mealy cock provide a healthy jonque hen, whose
feathers are fine and soft, and markings perfectly even.
Again, if you have a bird which has too much " strength of
feather," as it is called; that is, too many black spangles
on the back, and too much dark colour when the belly
feathers are blown up, with the plumage altogether coarser
than it should be, match it with one of the softest, silki¬
est, and clearest coloured birds of the opposite sex you can
procure. It has ever been observed, that a spangle-marked
cock, with a mealy hue, has produced birds with backs more
regularly spangled, and altogether finer, than if both parents
had been so marked. So it is with crown-top, or crested
canaries; if you get one with a fine, full crown, match it
with one that has none ; singularly enough, a union of two
crested birds generally produces a bare-polled progeny.
CA«E AJTD SlftcHlPfO illKJJa.
A fine, full-coloured yellow bird, without a speck or splash
of black, is held in great estimation, and you are most
likely to obtain this from the union of a clear-bred jonque
cock with a large, perfect, mealy hen. You should as¬
certain where your birds come from, and take care that the
breed is pure, or some original taint may make its appear¬
ance, and disappoint your expectations. A fine breed of
pied birds, strong and good songsters, may be produced by
the union of a rich-coloured jonque cock with a dark-gray
or greenish hen. Good lizzards are obtained by matching
a strongly-marked gray cock with a dark-splashed hen; and
if you put together a strong gray or green-coloured cock,
with a clear mealy hen, you will most likely have what
are called cinnamon birds; the lightest tinted of this
variety are termed quakers, and if you match a quaker
hen with a clear greenish cock, you get what is called the
dove canary, from the soft, subdued colour of its plumage.
If you pair for several seasons the lightest mealies pro¬
curable, you will have white and flaxen-coloured birds, and
so you may go on producing- varieties innumerable. Always
take care that your hens are of good shape, and regularly
feathered, that one of the pair has beauty of plumage, the
other good musical powers; and, above all, take care never
to match birds of the same brood, this is sure to weaken
and deteriorate the breed. If your birds are loose in an
aviary you must let them pair as they please, and, unless
you are desirous of obtaining choice fancy birds, this is the
more agreeable and less troublesome mode of treating them;
the birds like it better, because they are urder little or no
restraint, and you, as every bird lover must, will be glad to
see them enjoying many of the pleasures of their native
state of freedom, without any of its sufferings and privations.
Our general remarks on the aviary will give nearly all the
information that will be required for the management of
your birds under these circumstances—a few wicker nests
hung here and there in snug corners, lined with hair or wool,
or other soft substance, a genial atmosphere, and plenty oi
good nourishing food, with as little disturbance as may be,
and they will manage for themselves better than you could
for them. If your aviary is numerously and variously
stocked, it is nerhans advisable to nlaee the nests in cages
CAGE AND SINGING BIKJLIS,
91
that can be closed at pleasure, that the sitting- birds, and the
young when hatched, may not be disturbed by too many
visits from feathered friends or enemies, some of whom might
feel disposed to use them rather roughly, if they did not
utterly destroy and gobble up the poor little fledglings.
The following concise and simple directions may suffice
for those who desire to breed canaries in a more careful and
scientific way. This work can always be most successfully
carried on in the country, where the air is purer, and the
aspect of all things more fresh, and pleasant, and congenial
to bird nature than in town ; nevertheless, a large proportion
of our best and finest song birds are born and reared in
brick-and-mortar wildernesses, and for this purpose a room
at the top of the house is generally chosen, because most
airy and open to the sunshine; during the summer the win¬
dow should be left open, with a net before it sufficiently
strong enough to keep in the birds, and also to keep out the
cats, which have a fancy for roaming- on the house-tops, and
a still stronger fancy for canary flesh. The room should
have perches just about large enough for the feet of the
birds to grasp, projecting here and there from the walls at
different heights, and young fir trees (if growing in tubs or
pots, so much the better), placed in the corners and elsewhere;
the floor should be well sanded, and kept clean, and a good
supply of rape and canary seed, and fresh water, in appro¬
priate vessels, constantly provided. The birds may be
allowed to fly about together, until the cold weather begins
to set in, when you should begin to think of tenants for your
breeding cages, which you have already fixed to the walls
just high enough to be seen into without difficulty; then
choose the birds which you are desirous of mating, and put
into each cage two hens and a cock—bearing in mind the
directions which we have already given about pairing.
After living- sociably together thus through the winter, they
will be more likely, as the season of love approaches, to form
a matrimonial alliance, than if they were then introduced to
each other for the first time. You must watch their pro¬
ceedings, and if there should seem a likelihood of their
doing this too early, that is before April, the cock had better
be separated from the hens for a time, or the young brood
may come in inclement weather and so perish. When the
92
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
pairing time arrives, give your birds hemp-seed, groundsel,
and hard-boiled yolk of egg; most likely the cock will begin
to sing with extraordinary energy, and all the party will be
m a constant state of flutter and excitement, showing that
matters are going on exactly as you wish; should this,
however, not be the case, and no signs of pairing manifest
themselves by about the middle of April, put the cock into
a small cage, and hang it where he can see the hens, but not
get to them, and after keeping him so till he begins to sing
loudly, and peck fiercely at the wires, restore him to the
society of the ladies; should this fail, the case is hopeless—
you must let him loose, or get rid of him, or try him with
some other hens. Canaries, like unfeathered bipeds, have
their particular fancies, and he, perchance, may have set his
affections otherwhere. If matters are going on all right,
place in the cage, where it may be easily seen and got at,
some fine moss, cows' or rabbits' hair, or wool, washed very
clean, and put osier nets of the size and shape of a bird's
nest, in the inner division of the cage : these the birds will
most likely proceed to line with the materials supplied for
the purpose; should they not, you had better do it for them,
pressing the hair or wool gently and evenly down all round
the sides, the bottoms of the nests should rest on the floor
of the cage, and be attached to the side to keep it steady.
Notwithstanding all your care and attention, you will some¬
times find a first egg laid away from either nest, in one of
which you must gently place it, and most likely the second
will be laid by its side; some persons adopt the plan of re¬
moving the eggs as they are laid, and putting ivory balls in
ffieir place, and then restoring them altogether to the nest,
that the young may be hatched at the same time, but the
policy of this is very questionable; there is great danger of
breaking the eggs, and it gives unnecessary disturbance to the
old birds, which, in the management of their domestic mat¬
ters, should not be interfered with unnecessarily. We have
said that the canary has his fancies; he will sometimes be
very ardent and loving towards one of the hens, and neglect
the other altogether; when this is the case, it is best to put
the neglected hen in one division of the cage by herself,
until the other begins to lay, then place the male with her,
and keep him there until she does the same, after which the
93
sliding door may be left open, as there is no longer any oc¬
casion for keeping the birds separate. Seven or eight days
after pairing, the first egg is generally laid, and each day
afte*' another, until the whole four or five are produced; in
about thirteen days from this time the young ought to make
their appearance; wait another day, and should there then
be no signs of hatching, take the eggs carefully from the
nest, keep them for four or five minutes in lukewarm water,
and then replace them; it is well before doing this to hold
them up to the light, as if they are semi-transparent, they
are bad and may be destroyed; this experiment may be
tried when the eggs have been sat on eight days only, and
the mother bird, perhaps, may be saved some unnecessary
trouble and loss of time. Sometimes a hen will lay three or
four eggs, and then desert the nest; if those eggs are ex¬
amined, they will generally be found bad: by what secret
instinct is the bird informed of this ? Some hens will cut
their eggs, and some turn them out of the nest and break
them; in the former case it is generally hunger which
drives the bird to do it; to prevent this, food should be
prepared over night, and placed where she can easily get it;
in the latter case, you may be pretty sure that your hen is a
hasty impatient bird, that will not endure the drudgery of
attending to her offspring: if she hatches them, they will
most likely be served as the eggs were, or left to perish of
hunger; such a bad mother should not be used as a breeder.
Before deciding on this, however, examine the feet of the
bird, as this overturning of the nest will sometimes occur
from the claws being dirty and clogged, or the nails too long.
As soon as the young are hatched, Bechstein recommends
that a small jar should be placed beside the common feed¬
ing-trough, containing a quarter of a hard-boiled egg,
minced very fine, with a piece of white bread, previously
soaked in water and squeezed dry; and with this another
jar, containing rape-seed which has been boiled and well
washed, to deprive it of all acrimony; these should be
prepared fresh every morning. It sometimes happens that
young mothers are so over careful and anxious -about the
eggs not hatched, that they will not leave the nest to feed the
young birds which are, and so they get starved: if you keep
& register of the laying of the eggs, you will know exactly
94
CAGE AND SINGING BIKDS.
when the hatching ought to commence : let plenty of food
be placed close to the nest overnight, and observe if she
gets off to take it in the morning, when you feel assured
she ought to have her first chick out of the shell 5 should
she not do this, nor the cock carry food to her, take her
gently off the nest, and let her see that there is plenty of
food, and one or more little yellow bills gaping for it; her
maternal instinct will inform her what she ought to do in
the case; and having once fed her young, she will continue
to do so; the cock will most likely also follow her ex¬
ample.
While incubation is going on, take care that the room is
kept quiet: even the violent shaking of a door may, it has
been asserted, injure the young in the shell. When these
are hatched, the male bird generally takes upon himself the
responsibility of providing them with food, as if to give the
hen a little rest after her heavy duties. Should you find,
as is sometimes the case, that the young are insufficiently
fed, administer a little food, prepared of biscuit, grated fine,
and crushed rape, mixed and moistened when wanted for
use, with a little water and yolk of egg; about four quills
full of this is sufficient for each nestling at the time; the
frequency of its administration must depend upon the quan¬
tity of food given by the old birds; if you have to bring
up the young altogether by hand, ten or twelve times a day
will not be too often. The young canaries are almost des¬
titute of plumage until they are about twelve or fourteen
days old, at which time the hen bird usually begins to pre¬
pare for a second brood, and has often built her nest, and
laid her eggs before the first are fully fledged. According
to some authorities, Bechstein among them, the growth of
the feathers is promoted by the immersion of the young- birds
in a bath of lukewarm water; this renders them, howevei,
extremely liable to get a chill, and it is best, if you observe
any backwardness in the development of the plumage, to
take a syringe, filled with warm water, and standing at
some distance, let it fall in a gentle spray over mother and
young. It has been found that when a male canary has
{»aired with two females, and one of them has died after
aying, the other hen has received them into her nest, and
sat and tended on them as if they had been her own, even
<jA i*JS AND SlNOrlNOI BIRDS.
95
repulsing the attentions of the cock, that she might be
enabled to do so.
After the thirteenth day, the young birds can gene/ally
feed themselves, and when a month old may be taken from
their parents altogether ; they may then be placed in a
good-sized store cage, or in small separate cages, as Bech-
stein recommends, and fed with their ordinary food, with
which a little soaked rape-seed has been mixed ; they should
not be tuned loose in the room until'after the first moult,
during which they will require all the care and attention ycu
can bestow on them.
And here we may bring our directions as to breeding to
a close, with observing that the. canary is a tolerably pro¬
lific bird, having commonly four broods in a season: a single
pair has been known to produce as many as forty young in
one year, but this was a very extraordinary instance; there
are, however, many casualties to prevent the bringing up of
a large number, and the breeder may think himself well off
if he rears the half of those produced. Constant breeding
weakens the hens greatly, so that they seldom live above
seven or eight years. For breeding, the cock should not
be less than two years of age; the hen somewhat older.
FOOD.
The best general food for canaries is rape and canary
seed, with occasionally chickweed, lettuce, watercress; boiled
vegetables, such as carrot, cauliflower; and raw fruit, such as
apple, pear, &c.; a lump of sugar, now and then, will do
them no harm, but they should not have too much of this,
nor of anything sweet: only sufficient food for one day
should be given at the time, or they will pick out the best
the first day, and afterwards feed on the husks, thereby
impairing their digestive organs. Sand, some old mortar,
and plenty of fresh water to drink and to wash in, are
among their requirements : during the moulting season they
should have bread and milk, and if during incubation the
hen sweats very much, it is best to mix her canary-seed
with oatmeal, and let her have water impregnated with
iron to drink. Bruised rape-seed, from which the chaff has
been blown away, rubbed down in a mortar with crumb of
white bread, makes a good dry food for old birds, and the
96
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
same mixed up into a paste with hard-boiled yolk of egg
and water, is excellent for the young-ones : care should be
taken never to give this when sour, or at all musty. Stale
spong-e cake, rubbed down to powder, or made into a paste,
with a few drops of sherry wine, is good when your birds,
from sickness, or other causes, are weak and debilitated.
DISEASES.
Although the diseases to which the canary is liable are
much the same as those which attack other species in con¬
finement, yet it is so important and universally admired a
song-bird, that we think it well to g-ive specific directions for
its treatment under all the ills that canary flesh is heir to.
We will take the diseases in the order in which they are
set down by Bechstein, and add to the information given by
him, some which our own experience and reading have
enabled us to acquire :—1st, Rupture, or surfeit, a kind of
indigestion, causing inflammation of the intestines, to which
young birds are more especially subject; the symptoms are,
a swelling of the body, which, on blowing up the feathers,
looks semi-transparent, and full of red veins; at the lower
part are black turgid lumps, as though the intestines had
fallen there in a knotted state; the cause of this is, gene¬
rally, an over-abundance of nutrition, or bad or stale food
or water; the remedy, if any there be, a spare diet, with a
little alum or salt in the drink; groats and oatmeal are good
in this case : if the bowels should be much relaxed, give
bruised hemp and maw seed, with a little stale sponge cake
soaked in sherry wine. Sometimes the feathers of the bird
come off, then rub the bare parts with fresh lard, or ®il of
almonds. 2nd. Egg Rupture, consists of an obstruction of
the passage by which the eggs are ejected : suffering from
this disease, which in the end frequently proves fatal, tho
bird is said to be egg-bound; she often fancies that she has
laid, and broods upon an empty nest: a few drops of salad
oil applied to the vent, and a warm bath, are the best
remedies; you must he very careful in handling the bird,
or you may break the confined egg, a catastrophe which
would most likely cause immediate death. When you have,
applied the remedies, do not let her loose, hut place her
gently upon the nest, and it is likely she will then be able t<?
CAGE ABfJD 3IWG1NO BIRDS.
void her eggs; if not, try a few drops of castor oil adminis¬
tered in a quill: should this fail, there is little chance for hei.
3rd. Yellow Gall or Scab makes its appearance about the
head and eyes ; sometimes there is a small ulcer the size oi
a hemp-seed. This must be carefully cut off with a sharp
pen-knife, and the place anointed with fresh butter, or
washed with urine; the bird should have fresh nourishing
foodc 4th. Sweating most usually affects sitting hens, and
will, if not cured, destroy the brood. Wash the body of the
patient in a good strong solution of salt, and after a few
minutes with fresh water; dry her as rapidly as possible in
the sun. Do this once or twice a day, and sprinkle a little
sherry wine over her plumage. Supply her with plenty of
good food to tempt her off the nest; she is most likely a
weakly bird, and injures herself by sitting too close. A
sweating hen is not fit for a breeder, so never use her for
this purpose twice. 5th. Asthma arises frequently from a
disordered stomach, and may be relieved by the use of
soaked plantain and rape-seed. 6th. Sneezing, often caused
by an obstruction of the nostrils, and may be cured by pass¬
ing a very fine feather through them; sometimes the result of
a cold. Careful exclusion from draughts, good food, &c., are
the remedies in this case. 7th. Hushiness, or Loss of Voice
—Young cocks, when moulting, are frequently so affected,
but birds of all ages and at all times may be; a cold is the
general cause. Never purchase a husky bird: you may be
told it is only a little cold, and will pass off. So it may,
but it will most likely return before long, and become a
chronic disease, ending in decline. The remedial measures
are:—Keep the bird warm, and give it some linseed with its
rape and canary, and ripe plantain if it can be got. Every
morning it should have a small teaspoonful of warm bread
and milk, and now and then a little bit of sponge cake
soaked in sherry wine. 8th. Constipation.—The simple
and effectual cure for this is, plenty of green food, such as
lettuce, watercress, &c. A piece of sugar candy in the
water is also good. 9th. Epilepsy.—Birds which have been
too delicately nurtured, and which are weak from other
causes, are most subject to fits of dizziness, which causes
them to fall from their perches, and lie for awhile as dean
Sometimes these attacks are brought on by over exertion or
P8 CAGE AWD 8INGISTG BIRDS.
fear. A cold bath is one of the easiest and most effectual
remedies: a drop or two of sherry wine, if the bird can be
made to swallow, will generally restore it to consciousness,
and help to prevent a recurrence of the fit. Nourishing
food, and a few drops of spirits of nitre in the water which
the bird drinks, are good in these cases. Some persons draw
a feather or two from the tail at the time of the fit, but we
do not recommend this. 10th, Overgrown Claws and Beak.
—These, although scarcely to be called diseases, sometimes
have as bad an effect upon the health of the bird as if they
were really such ; for the consciousness of possessing claws
and beak of an undue length, and the fear of getting them
entangled in the wires of the cage, or other objects about,
will cause it to mope and refuse its food: therefore, they
snould be properly trimmed with a pair of sharp scissors.
Care should be taken not to cut them so closely as to
produce blood. This may always be avoided by holding the
claw to be operated on up to the light, and seeing how far
down the toes the vessels extend. Your grasp of the bird
should be firm, yet very gentle, and all that you do should
be done without haste cr trepidation. 11th. Vermin.—The
most troublesome of these are called red mites, minute
insects resembling house bugs, which get into the crevices
of the cage, the plumage of the birds, the nests, and all
places which afford a harbour for them, and annoy the birds
dreadfully. These little bloodsuckers carry on their warfare
chiefly by night. When a cage is once infested with them
it had better be burnt, for hardly any amount of cleansing
will entirely dislodge the enemy. A pinch or two of pungent
Scotch snuff under the wings and about the bodies of your
birds will partially destroy them, but you must be careful
that it does not get into the eyes of your songsters. The
most effectual remedy is, perhaps, a solution of white pre¬
cipitate powder, washed over those parts of the canary
where the mites are most likely to be, putting the cage ill
the sun, or before the fire, that the feathers may gat
thoroughly dry after the application. Becolleet that this is
a strong poison, and guard against accidents when using it.
For lice, frequent bathing and great attention to cleanliness
may be recommended: a little crushed aniseed with the
et the bottom of the cage will often dislodge the intruder*
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
99
Cages of fir or other soft wood are most liable to be infested
with vermin: there is nothing like a mahogany or a metal
cage for the comfort of your birds.
The following diseases are not mentioned by Bechstein
with those to which the canary is especially liable, but as the
bird does sulfer from them, and requires some peculiarity of
treatment, we mention them here:—
Obstruction of the Mump Gland.—This is sometimes
called the Pip, and is manifested by a swelling or small
?imple which makes its appearance in the rump of the bird,
f it does not go away of itself, which it frequently will, it
may be opened with the point of a fine needle, the matter
squeezed out, and a little salt or brown sugar, previously
moistened with the tongue, placed over the sore, which will
quickly heal. This swelling is frequently an indication that
your bird is out of health. If he sits all of a heap, and
frequently twitches his tail, see if his motions be hard; and
if so, give him some oatmeal and a little watercress for a few
mornings; also change his seed, and put a few drops of spirits
of nitre into his water.
Diarrhoea-—This is frequently a fatal disease with ca¬
naries, as with other cage birds. The bird attacked with it
constantly voids a white fluid matter, which causes great in¬
flammation of the rectum. The best remedial measures are
as much natural food as possible, the drinking water im¬
pregnated with iron, a piece of chalk stuck between the
wires of the cage for the bird to nibble, or some scraped
chalk scattered on the bottom: some authorities recommend
that the belly of the patient should be rubbed over with olive
oil or oil of sweet almonds, and that melon seed bruised shall
be given to it, with the yolk of hard-boiled egg, stale sponge
cakes, and slightly scalded lettuce. We cannot say that w€
have much faith in any of these so-called remedies; chalk
and iron, and natural food, are the grand things.
Moulting Sickness.—This is most dangerous to young
birds, and generally commences when they atB about six
weeks old, and continues for a couple of months or so. You
will observe thaf the birds lose their natural vivacity, and
Bit moping about with their heads under their wings, and
goon the bottom of the cage will be strewed with the shed
feathers. All you have then to do is to keep them quiet,
100
CAGE ANT) SINGING BIRDS.
and free from draughts. As the weather will most likely
be warm, the moult commonly occurring in July or August,
you need not muffle them up: hang them in the sunshine as-
much as possible, give them hemp-seed and stale sponge
cake, and any nourishing food they seem to fancy; they will
not eat much. Let them constantly have a lump of sugar
to peck, and throw into their water a little saffron or a piece
of refined liquorice now and then. William Kidd recom¬
mends a very small quantity of raw beef scraped and
moistened with cold water about once a week, and ripe
chickweed, with yolk of eggs; and an American breeder *
says that, " Should the moult prove uncommonly bad, the
bird should have sponge cake soaked in sherry wine, and a
little of the same wine blown over his feathers every day or
two while he is drooping. At this time be very careful to
keep your birds supplied with sand or gravel."
Want of appetite sometimes occurs after breeding, moult¬
ing, or other sickness: in this case, the bird should be
tempted to eat by any little dainties that can he thought of;
a composition, made of millet, canary, rape, and hemp seed,
mixed with moist garden loam, and then dried in the form
of cakes, has been found of service in this disorder.
Cancer is sometime prevalent among canaries: it appears
to be contagious, and generally attacks the feet or the bill,
which become much swollen; take care to keep the cage
perfectly clean, and bathe the part affected frequently with
olive or almond oil; wash it also with lukewarm milk.
Broken limbs are best left to themselves: human con¬
trivances, where so fragile a thing as a bird's leg or wing is
concerned, are generally more mischievous than useful;
nature will perform the cure if it is to be done: place the
little sufferer carefully and tenderly in a small cage without
perches upon some soft hay, let the seed box and water
vessel be within reach, and muffle up the cage with flannel
or baize, and keep everything as quiet as possible, so that the
bird may not be excited to move; the chances are that, in a
few days, all will be right again.
Decline.—A hen canary will sometimes mope and pine
away without any perceptible cause; this is usually on ao
• H. B, Birgt, Booh of Cage Bird,*, Philadelphia.
CAGE AND SItfGiNG BIRDS.
count of being excluded from the male bird; let her breed,
and she will probably recover, if not too far gone.
We have now, we believe, gone through the whole list ot
ailments to which the canary is subject, and a pretty for¬
midable one it is. Let not our readers imagine, however,
that this is a delicate species, it is by no means so; ordinary
care and attention only are required to keep it in health and
full power of song for many years. No extensive breeder
should be without an hospital cage, as most of the diseases
to which the bird is liable may be considered as contagious j
and the loss of an entire collection may sometimes result
from leaving the sick with the healthy birds. Such a cage
should be of wood, well lined with thick flannel, and having
different compartments in which to place, if necessary, the
little patients; the front should be of wicker-work. As
a proof that canaries are not such delicate birds as has been
generally supposed, it may be mentioned that, even in this
northern climate, they have been induced to breed and live
in the open air. William Kidd, in his journal, gives an
interesting account of the shrubberies of William Wollaston,.
Esq., of Welling, in Kent, where canaries, goldfinches, and
other sweet songsters, build and sing, and are provided with
food without the trouble of seeking it. At the Queen's
Marine Villa, Osborne House, in the Isle of Wight, and
other places in this country also, the experiment of open
air canary breeding has Deen successfully tried, and it is
likely that, eventually, we may see, in the more southerly
and sheltered parts of our island, this beautiful songster a
wild bird of the copse and woodland. Many years ago,
Gilbert White asked,—" Might not canary birds be natural¬
ized in this climate, provided their eggs were put in the
spring into the nests of some of their congeners, as gold¬
finches, greenfinches, &c. ?" We apprehend that bird-
catchers would prove greater obstacles to the naturalization
of canaries amongst us than the climate; it is to be feared
that the birds would be hunted as assiduously as they were
in the Island of Elba, and with the like result.
It has been well observed, that " most foreign birds, intro¬
duced into this country, degenerate and lose their spirits;
but the canary finch rises in colour, feathers, and song; and,
if properly managed, no bird will recompense you so well,
102
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
for he will delight you with his singing' nearly all the year
round, if bred and reared for that purpose." And now it
will be necessary .to say a few words about the method of
TEACHING TO SING,
We shall occupy but little space with remarks upon this
head, as much that might be said will be found in its ap¬
propriate place in the first section of our book. Soon after
the young canaries are able to feed themselves, they begin
to twitter; and even at this early period, Bechstein says,
the male may be distinguished from the female by the more
connected character of his song. Then is the time to begin
the course of musical instruction ; the birds to be taught
should be put into separate cages of small size, which should
at first be covered with a linen cloth, and afterwards with
some thicker substance, so as nearly to exclude the light:
place them in a room by themselves, as remote as possible
from all discordant and distracting sounds, let a short air be
whistled or played to them on a flute, flageolet, or bird-
organ, five or six times a day, and repeated on each occasion
about that number of times. Especially in the morning
and evening, and at feeding time, should these lessons be
given : from two to six months is the time required by the
birds to learn the tune perfectly; some having better memo¬
ries, and some being more docile and attentive than others.
Should you wish your birds to acquire the strain of any
other feathered performer, you must hang him in the room
with them, and let them hear as little else as may be. A
well-instructed canary, nightingale, goldfinch, sky or wood
lark, may be the music-master; the English taste is in
favour of the two latter. Tyrol birds are, most frequently,
taught to introduce the warbling of the second; and in
Thuringia, as Bechstein tells us, "the preference is gene¬
rally given to those birds which, instead of a succession of
noisy bursts, know how, with a silvery sonorous voice, to
descend regularly through all the notes of the octave, intro¬
ducing from time to time, a sound like a trumpet." Some
canaries, in the pairing season, have been known to sing
with such loudness and vigour as to rupture the blood¬
vessels of the lungs, and fall dead in the midst of their
<3ong j at the same season, the hen bird, which is generally
CAGE AMD SINGING BIRDS.
silent, will utter a few harsh unconnected notes; and when
the bird is too old to breed, she will sometimes continue this
melancholy ghost of a song throughout the year. This in¬
competency for singing is the chief distinction of the female
from the male canary; yet those much accustomed to see and
handle the birds, can at once determine the sex. We must
now conclude our remarks upon this most interesting species,
on whieh, of itself, a volume might be written. The night¬
ingale and the canary, among song birds, are what the rose
and the lily are among flowers, both inexhaustible subjects.
THE GLOSSY FINCH.
This is a South American bird, being found chiefly in the
woods of Cayenne and Carthagena; it is somewhat smaller
than the common sparrow; the general colour of the plumage
is a rich glossy black, with a blue cast; the feet and bill are
flesh coloured. The feathers of the hen exhibit a consider¬
able admixture of yellowish brown and gray. This bird is
a soft, pleasing songster, and exerts itself so much in sing¬
ing that the feathers of its neck stand out like a ruff: it is
easily tamed, and may be fed upon all kinds of fruit and
seeds, especially poppy, rape, and millet.
THE PURPLE FINCH
Generally comes to us from Carolina, where the species is
abundant. It is about the size of the chaffinch, not a good
iongster, but a very beautiful bird, with plumes of a dark
violet colour intermixed with brown; the abdomen is
white, and the tail somewhat forked. The female is entirely
brown, with a speckled breast, resembling that of the thrush.
In their wild state, these birds feed much upon juniper berries,
of which they should have an occasional treat when in confine¬
ment. Their chief food may be rape and canary seed they
are not at all delicate feeders, but will soon take to almost,
any kind of prison diet.
THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.
This bird is tolerably abundant during the summer about
New York; it is about the size of our linnet, and has a
prettily variegated dress black, white, and yellow. In
the female, the markings are less lively and distinct, and the
104
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
back is olive green, so that she closely resembles the siskin,
especially wh n in her winter plumage; which, in the male,
also becomes somewhat of an olive tint. The treatment of
these birds in confinement may be, in every respect, like that
of the nativ goldfinches. Feed them with thistle seed and
other dainties, and they will become very familiar. We are
not aware that they have ever been induced to breed here,
but think it likely that they might with a little care and
attentio ; attempts have been made, as Wilson relates, to
make them pair with the canary, which in appearance they
much resemble, but, hitherto, with little success. Their
song is much like that of our goldfinch, only weaker: in the
cage they often sing with great energy and animation.
THE BRAZILIAN FINCH
Is about the size of the siskin; the prevailing colours of
the plumage are black and brown; the beak is of a coral
red, and the eyelids scarlet: the sides of the head, around
the eyes, purple; the legs and feet are light gray. In the
female, the under parts of the body, which in the male
are black, are yellow and white; in other respects she
resembles the cock. This is a very pretty lively bird, with
aD agreeable song; it may be treated like the last.
THE BLUE-BELLIED FINCH.
This is an African bird, somewhat smaller than the Bra-
:ilian fineh, being about four inches and a quarter long;
it has, like that bird, a longish conical tail, which is of a
blue colour, as are also the sides of the head, the under part
of the neck, the breast, the abdomen, the rump, and vent; it
has a flesh-coloured beak, compressed at the sides, and very
pointed; the feet are pale brown; the vertex and upper part
f the body ashy brown, with a tinge of purple; a curved
patch of this colour may likewise be observed beneath each
eye. The female is without these distinctive marks. These
birds came to Europe chiefly from Angola and Guinea; the
male has an agreeable, though weak song. They should be
fed on crushed hemp, canary, and poppy seed, and kept
warm.
CAGE ANl) SINGING BIRDS.
105
THF. GREEN GOLDFINCH
Is a native of the Brazils; it is much like the European
species in size and figure; the flesh-coloured beak is com¬
pressed at the sides, and terminates with a very long point,
somewhat hooked; the throat and forehead, as far back
as the eyes, are bright red, as are the margins of the greenish
osterior pinion feathers; the larger pinion feathers are dark
rown, delicately edged with dark yellow; the vertex, upper
part of the neck, back, and wing coverts, are yellowish
green, and the reins ash coloured; the breast is olive green,
fading off into white towards the abdomen; all the under
part of the body is spotted with dark brown; the rump and
tail are red, with an ashy gray lining to the latter. The
principal distinction of the female is a bright yellow back,
running off into green towards the rump, and becoming
ashy on the neck and vertex.
This is a delightful songster, and one of the most beautiful
of cage birds; with proper attention, and a diet of canary
and rape seed, it will live for many years.
THE ANGOLA FINCH,
A gentle and docile bird, in size, form, and manners, closely
resembling the English linnet, singing as sweetly, but more
powerfully than that well-known species. It has a gay
plumage of red and yellow, shaded with dark brown and
rusty gray, spotted at the sides of the throat with white;
the legs and beak are a dull flesh colour.
THE LIVER-COLOURED FINCH
Comes from the Western Coast of Africa; it is about the
size of the above species, and has much the same colours in
its plumage, only they are differently arranged. Its short,
conical, sparrow-like beak is blood red, with a black tip, and
this is a very obvious mark of distinction. It is a very lively
bird, with a song as soft as that of the willow wren. This
and the Angola finch should be fed upon rape and canary
seed. We have here enumerated the principal foreign finches
brought into the English bird-markets; they are all of them
Beautiful, and most of th&m birds, not at all difficult tc
106
CAGE AM) SINGING BIRDS.
keep when obtained; they show to most advantage in bell-
shaped cages,
LINNETS.
Very nearly allied to the sparrows and finches are the
linnets, of which there are four British species,—'three of
them songsters and common cage birds. The best known
and most admired is'
THE BROWN, GRAY, YELLOW, OR ROSE LINNET,
As it is variously called, in accordance with the changes
caused by age, or atmosphere, or other influence, on its
plumage. Dealers speak of these as so many varieties,
which in reality they are not; for the same bird, which at
one year old, when it has no red feathers in the head, is a
gray linnet, becomes after the second moulting, when the red
of the breast takes a golden hue from the yellowish white
margins of the feathers, a yellow linnet; and in the spring
of its third year, when the forehead is blood red, the feathers
on the side of the breast the same colour, and a ferruginous
tinge prevails over the whole body, the bird comes out in all
its glory as a greater redpole, or a rose linnet. By-and-by,
when age steals on, or sickness or confinement tell upon the
constitution of the sweet songster, he falls from his high es¬
tate ; his plumage changes, and he is a brown, gray, or yellow
linnet, as the case may be. There is scarcely any bird, per¬
haps, that puts on so many different .dresses in the course of
his life as our little masquerading lintie, or lint-white, as the
Scotch call him ; there is scarcely any telling what changes
each moult will produce—that is, in a state of confinement;
for, in a natural state, the bird will go through its regular
gradations of plumage in a natural manner, and one may
safely judge of his age by his dress; but in an artificial
state, it is not so; and a gray canary is as likely to be an
old and sickly bird, as a young and vigorous one; indeed,
more likely, for the beautiful rosy flush, which suffuses the
wild songster in its full maturity, passes away after a year
or two of prison life, as the hue of health from the cheek of
out. country bred, who comes to dwell in the close and
clouded atmosphere of a populous city. Through all its
changes, however, the little linnet is one of the very sweetest
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
107
of feathered songsters, and whether in health or sickness, it
seldom fails to pour forth its melodious notes; nay, Bechstein
tells us that he always endeavoured to procure those birds m
which the red on the breast was replaced by a bright orange,
a change attributable to age or sickness, " because their song
was clear and beautiful."
Naturally the linnet is rather a wild shy bird, and during
the summer is found dispersed over the hilly and mountain¬
ous parts of the country, more specially where thickets
abound; in the winter it approaches the habitations of man,
collecting in flocks like the larks. If you wish to find the
nest of the linnet, you must look for it close to the ground.
It is usually placed in a low bush, constructed of grass,
moss, and wool, and lined with hair; the eggs, from four to
six in number, are bluish white, sparely spotted with pur¬
plish gray and brown. The young are somewhat difficult
to rear, unless you can take the parents with them, who will,
as when wild, continue to feed them from the crop. Should
you not be able to do jthis, crumbs of bread soaked in water,
squeezed dry, and mixed with crushed rape-seed, is the
best food for them. They should be taken from the nest as
soon as the tail-feathers begin to grow, if you wish them to
acquire an artificial song, for if left? longer they will get
themselves stored with the notes of the old birds. Linnets
are difficult birds to catch. In the spring, before they have
paired, a good decoy with limed twigs will sometimes do
the business. They are very fond of lettuces, and may
occasionally be taken by nooses or bird-lime, placed among
these vegetables. Bechstein says that shepherds some¬
times arrange the salt-troughs for the sheep, so as to entrap
the linnets that come to pick up the grains scattered to
entice them.
The best food for theso birds in confinement, according
to this authority, is summer rape-seed, which it is not ne¬
cessary to soak, as the linnet 13 almost entirely a seed-
eating bird, and has strong digestive powers. We would
recommend a little mixture of canary-seed with thisi, and
occasionally green food; hemp-seed must not be given, nbf1
winter rape, for although the bird eats of this when wild
•with impunity, yet, when deprived of the opportunity of
strong exercise, this seed acts almost like a poison. Linnets
108
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
are naturally of a plethoric habit, and must not be fed very
abundantly; a little salt should be given to them now and
then; water and sand are essentials.
The natural song of the linnet is very sweet; but if
placed when young under the tuition of a nightingale, or
a woodlark, or taught by an instrument, there is no more
delightful songster. It is one of those birds that will breed
readily with the canary; and it you want a really good
parlour bird, get a well-trained linnet mule; its execution is
brilliant, and its piano notes are the softest and most melo¬
dious that can be imagined. The linnet is a quick learner,
and a most docile and affectionate bird; it may be taught
all sorts of amusing tricks, and after a littte training may
be allowed to fly into the garden and shrubbery without
any danger of its deserting its home, and the persons to
whom it has become attached.
THE LESSER REDPOLE.
This bird possesses most of the good qualities of its con¬
gener just described, except its powers of song, which are
very inferior. It closely resembles the siskin in shape, and
in its habits the blue tit, being almost incessantly in motion,
and clinging about the trees in all kinds of attitudes. It
is partial to the birch and alder woods, on the seeds of
which it feeds, as it does also on those of the thistle and
olher plants. The nest is placed in a low bush, and formed
of grass, moss, and downy filaments. The eggs are four or five
in number, of a pale bluish green, spotted with brown. Vast
numbers of these pretty birds sometimes in the winter come to
this country from Norway and Sweden, and are taken by
hundreds, by the London bird-catchers, who generally find
purchasers for them, tempted by the brilliant crimson on
the crown of the head, and bright carmine tint on the sides
of the neck and breast. At the first month, however, the
latter generally disappears, and at the second changes to
a greenish yellow, leaving the bird with few attractions,
except its vivacity and docility. " It is," says Bechstein,
" a very affectionate bird, constantly caressing, not only its
own mate, but even other species of birds." It may be fed
upon the sameffood as the common linnet.
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS..
109
THE MEALY AND MOUNTAIN LINNETS.
The former of these is a very beautiful and very ram
bird in England. The colour of its plumage is chiefly gray,
delicately marked and shaded with yellowish brown, with a
faint rosy flush on the fore part of the neck, breast, and
rump, and a bright crimson patch on the forehead ; we have
never seen it as a cage bird, nor does Bechstein speak of it
as such. The next species is considered by this author as
but a variety of the common linnet, which, when the latter
is in its plain brown plumage, it very closely resembles.
British naturalists, however, have shown that it is specifically
distinct from, although very closely allied to, that bird.
Bird-catchers say, that they can always tell whether there
are any mountain linnets in a flock by the peculiar cry,
twite! twite! by which name the bird is sometimes called.
It does not appear that they are very successful in capturing
the bird, for it is never seen either in the shop of the dealer,
or the cage, or aviary, of the private bird-fancier. We
know of no reason why both these species should not be
domesticated, and do not doubt but they might; their treat¬
ment should be the same as that prescribed for the other
linnets.
GROSBEAKS.
The grosbeaks are closely allied to the finches, as well as
to the crossbills; most of those known as cage birds, are
foreign species, and rare m this country; indeed, the only
native bird amongst them is
THE PINE GROSBEAK,
Sometimes called the greater bullfinch, and sometimes the
hawfinch—the latter name, however, belongs to another
species, which we have already described. With the excep¬
tion of the peculiar construction of the beak, this bird is
almost identical in form, colour, and habits, with those just
treated of; true, it is larger, and the head and bill are more
the bullfinch make: the white margins to the wing fea-
Jhers, too, are distinctive, reminding one of the American
crossbill, of which a few specimens have been obtained in
tliis country, Bechstein describes this bird as having an
110
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
agreeable song, wbich it continues through the whole year,
and often during the night, on account of which, and its
great tameness, it is often caught and kept in confinement:
seldom does anything more than the skin of the beautiful
red-plumed songster find its way here; should any of our
readers be fortunate enough to obtain a live specimen, they
must give it the same kind of food as that recommended for
the crossbills.
THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK.
This is a large and handsome species, measuring about
eight inches in length, and having a dress of beautiful
bright red, which is finely relieved by a small portion of
glossy black about the head and throat. It is a North
American bird, and is described by Wilson as being in song
from March to September, " beginning at the first appear¬
ance of dawn, and repeating a favourite stanza, or passage,
twenty or thirty times successively, sometimes with little
intermission, for a whole morning together, till, like a good
story too often repeated, it becomes tiresome and insipid.
But," adds the naturalist, " the sprightly figure and gaudy
plumage of the red bird, his vivacity, strength of voice, and
actual variety of note, and the little expense at which he is
kept, will always make him a favourite." And a favourite
the Virginian nightingale, as this bird is commonly called, on
account of the richness and variety of his song, well deserves
to be; all through the year, except during the moulting
season, it discourses most exquisite melody, sometimes so
loud as to make the ears tingle again. The hen of this
species, which is of a reddish brown colour, is said by Wil¬
son, often to sing nearly as well as the male, and when
kept in the same cage is sometimes destroyed by the cock,
owing, it may be, to jealousy on this score. The bird, when
wild, feeds chiefly on maize and buckwheat; in captivity it
will live many years upon millet, canary, rape, and hemp
seed. We cannot learn that the bird has been induced to
breed in captivity, although Bechstein, says, that attempts
to this end have been made in detached aviaries.
THE WAXBILL
Is a pretty little bird, scarcely so large as a redbreast; it
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
Ill
has a bright red beak, and a stripe of the same colour passes
between the eyes, the rest of the plumage is brown and
gray, the former more or less tinged with red, and the latter
having a peculiarly soft and silky appearance, from being
traversed by fine blackish wavy lines; the tail is wedge
shaped. The colours of these birds vary greatly in different
individuals; in some there is an intermixture of yellow,
some have white spots, and some again have been observed
with a strong tinge of blue about the neck and throat. The
waxbills are natives of the Canary Isles, Madeira, Senegal,
tlo Cape of Good Hope, and India, from whence they are
frequently brought to Europt, they are gentle and engaging
little creatures, exceedingly affectionate one to anotner, living
harmoniously together, several pairs in a single cage. The
best food for them is millet. They must be kept tolerably
warm,
THE AMANDAVA.
This is a truly beautiful little bird, not more than four
inches in length; it is brought to Europe from Bengal,
Java, Malacca, and other parts of Asia; its beak is a rich
crimson, and all the head and underparts of the body bright
red; the feathers on the back are gray, but with so wide a
margin of red, that here, also, this seems to be the prevailing
colour. Most of the larger feathers, such as those on the
wing coverts, the tail, &c., are tipped with white, so that the
bird appears distinctly spotted. The female is about a third
less than the male; she has but little of the fiery red about
her plumage, and the under part of her body is a pale sul¬
phur colour; sometimes, also, this is ihe case with the
male, so that the size is perhaps the best criterion of
the sex,
These are very social birds, and a number jf them may be
kept together in one cage; they will perch in a row, and,
Bechstein says, sing in succession; their song, which lasts
throughout the year, is soft and agreeable, like that of the
willow wren. They are active lively birds, and will live
from six to ten years in confinement; they should be fed
upon millet and canary-seed, of which they require an abun»
dant supply, as well as plenty of water.
m
CAGE AN1> RINGING BIB33.
THE PARADISE GROSBEAK
Is a bind, nearly six inches in length, with flesh-coloured
beak and feet, red head and chin, and the rest of the body
brown and gray, spotted and barred with black and white.
The male and female are alike. This species has a feeble
song, which it utters throughout the year; it has been in¬
duced to breed in the English aviary. Millet and rape,
with a little hemp-seed occasionally, is the best food
for it.
THE GRENADIER GROSBEAK
Is about the size of a sparrow, with dull flesh-coloured feet,
and a black beak; the throat, neck, and upper parts of the
breast, as well as the rump, vent, and tail, are crimson; the
wings dark brown, or dark gray, with reddish white shafts;
nearly all the rest of the body is a rich velvety black; the
upper part of the neck has a swollen appearance, the feathers
there lying more loosely than elsewhere: these birds are
most beautiful while moulting. The female is chiefly brown
and gray, much resembling the hen sparrow, and in a wild
state, after the pairing season is over, the male becomes like
her; in July he resumes his crimson and black attire. These
bivds are common at the Cape of Good Hope; they have a
weak song like that of the siskin; they should be kept in a
small cage, and fed on canary-seed.
THE DOMINICAN GROSBEAK
Is about the size of a lark, and comes from Brazil; its only
utterance is an occasional harsh cry : the head, throat, and
upper part of the neck are of a bluish tint, and black and
white, more or less intermixed, prevail throughout the
plumage, the only exception being the lower mandible,
which is flesh-coloured. It should be treated as the last
species.
THE CAPE GROSBEAK
Is a handsome bird, about the size of a bullfinch, with a
wedge-shaped tail of a velvety black, which is also the
colour of the head, the neck, the top of the back, and the
whole under part of the body, being thus beautifully r«.-
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
113
lieved by the brig-lit golden yellow of the sides, rump, and
smaller wing coverts; the pinion feathers are dark brown,
edged with greenish yellow, and the scapulars bright brown,
with red gray margins. The female does not greatly differ
from the male ; she has a little more of gray in her plumage,
and the male, after pairing- time, and after the second moult,
is said to resemble her. The name of this bird tells us from
whence it comes; it has no powers of song, is easily kept in
a cage, where it should be placed either alone or with a
female; its food is hemp and canary seed.
THE CAFFRARIAN GROSBEAK
Is a bird somewhat larger than the bullfinch, with a tail
twice as long as the body, which is slightly erected, and
worn only during the pairing season. The prevailing colour
of the plumage is a rich velvety black; the shoulders are
blood red, the wing covers white, as are the margins of the
brownish gray pinion feathers. The plumage of the female
is mostly gray, with a little red upon the shoulders. The
male bird wears his rich dress from November until the
spring is over, at other times he is much like the female.
This bird is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, ana is
found far inland; it is very rarely brought to Europe. It
"equires a large cage, and may be fed on canary-seed.
THE BLUE GROSBEAK.
This species is about the size of the common crossbill. It
is found in North and South America. The whole of the
plumage is of a deep blue, excepting the larger wing-coverts,
which, with the central tail-feathers, are dark brown; the
shoulders are slightly tinged or spotted with red, and there
is a greenish tinge on the under side of the wings and tail.
The female is brown, with a slight admixture of blue. This
bird is very rarely seen in Europe. It has an agreeable song,
and the recommendation of great beauty: the best food for
it is canary-seen. This appears to be the indigo finch of
Wilson and other writers on American birds.
THE AZURE GROSBEAK,
Or, as some say, ultramarine grosbeak, has been generally
considered as a variety of the last species; it is, however, an
i
114
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
African bird, and therefore this can scarcely be the case:
the size is somewhat smaller, and the blue of the plumage
more deep and intense; the collar, pinion, and tail-feathera
are black the margins of the wing-coverts a rich yellow, and
.he feathers of the vent and thighs have white edgings.
This ery beautiful and engaging little bird will live long
in confinement if fed upon hemp and canary seed ana
bruised oats; it has a soft agreeable song, like that of the
siskin.
THE YELLOW-BELLIED GROSBEAK
Is about the size of the chaffinch; the whole upper part of
the body is of an olive green, and the under side, from the
breast to the vent, a bright orange; the head and neck are
dull blue, of a lightish tinge. Birdsellers aver that this is
the female of the blue grosbeak, and in confirmation of this
it may be stated that they agree well if put into a cage
together; but this, it appears, is brought from the Cape of
Good Hope—at all events, a yellow-billed grosbeak very
like it is; the French call this latter bird Le Grosbec Jaime
du Gap de bonne Esperance; and naturalists differ in their
statements of the relationships of the different species, if
different they be.
THE GOWREY GROSBEAK
Is a native of Java, and about the size of a linnet: the
whole upper part of the body, and down as far as the breast,
is a rich chestnut brown; there is a purple spot on either
cheek, which is only seen in the mature bird and in the
male 5 the sides are white, tinged towards the belly and vent
with red; the wings and tail, which is short and conical in
shape, are dark brown; most of the feathers have a heart-
shaped edge of black. The female is much like the male.
Canary-seed is the best food for these birds, which are
gentle and affectionate creatures j they have a weak twit¬
tering kind of song.
THE BANDED GROSBEAK.
Dealers call this bird the Indian sparrow, although it
comes from the coast of Guinea; it is about the size of S
linnet, and has a sharp, conical beak, thick at the base, and
CAGte AND SINGING BTftDS.
115
compressed in the middle, this is bluish gray, and the
jame colour, only of a reddish cast, spreads over the whole
upper portion of the body; the belly is black, with reddish
white spots, and a dark purple band passes round the cheeks
and chin; the under part of the body and rump is gray
brown, tinged with red, and many of the larger feathers are
edged and barred with black. The colours in the female are
aler, and the band around the neck is wanting. These
irds have a note very like that of the sparrow; they may
be fed on canary-seed.
THE BROWN-CHEEKED GROSBEAK
Is about the size of a siskin; it has a short, thick beak, of
a grayish brown colour; the feet are flesh-coloured; the
cheeks brown, with yellow margins, this tint extending
down the throat, and behind the ears: the short conical tail
is of a dingy light green, as are also the head, back, and
wings; the breast and belly ashy gray. The female is
without the yellow margins to the cheeks.
This bird is a native of Mexico; it has a soft flute-like
voice, and animated and agreeable manners. It should be
kept in a cage, and fed upon canary-seed and millet.
THE MALACCA GROSBEAK
Is brought from the East Indies; it is about as large as the
greenfinch ; the back and feet are ashy gray; the head and
neck, and part of the belly, are black; the back, wings, and
tail, bright chestnut; the breast and sides of the belly,
white. It is a stout, handsome bird, and has a strong, shrill
voice; some of its notes are not unpleasant, others exceed¬
ingly harsh and disagreeable. But little seems to be known
about its change? of plumage; Bechstein says he has seen
males which have moulted and remained the same, without
any white on the breast or black on the belly. Edwards hag
figured what he thought to be a female of the species, i*
which the pinion feathers and tail are black, but this may
have been a different species The bird thrives well upon
hemp and canary seed, and lives long iD confinement.
116
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
THE CLOUDED GROSBEAK.
This is a rare bird in Europe. Bechstein confesses to
have seen but two, and describes it as about the size of the
iparrow, with a thick beak of a whitish gray colour, large
lead-coloured feet, plumage generally black, with white
upon the rump and vent, and reddish gray on the wing
coverts: the lower part of the body is clouded with gray,
which, after each moulting, becomes more bright and dis¬
tinct. This is an African bird, being found chiefly at the
Cape. It has no song, properly so called, but keeps up a
continuous twitter: it becomes very tame, and will live long
in confinement. Should be fed upon millet, rape, canary, and
hemp seed.
THE RED-BILLED GROSBEAK.
This is also a native of Africa, and about the same size as
me last species, from which, however, it differs considerably
m colours and markings: it has a blood-red beak, very thick
and bald at the base ; the upper part of the body is grayish
brown, with darker longitudinal stripes; the under part is
bright reddish brown ; the pinions and tail-feathers are dark
brown, edged with reddish gray; the feet and eyelids are,
flesh coloured. This is a pretty and agreeable cage bird,
with a soft song; it is very gentle and affectionate. The
female has no black markings on the head, as the male has,
and the under part of her body is yellowish white.
THEUSHES.
Most of the British species comprised by naturaTists in tiie
tardus or thrush genus, are large well-known birds, and good
songsters. They feed chiefly, when wild, on worms, insects,
and soft fruits, in search of which they frequent the pastures
and cultivated grounds. Their nesting and resting places
are the woods and thickets : they build mostly neatly con¬
structed cup-shaped nests, and lay five or six eggs. This
short summary of their general habits will, perhaps, be all
that is necessary for us to say about them other than v
cage birds.
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
117
THE COMMON THRUSH*
Or song thrush, as it is sometimes called, the mavis of the
Scottish poets, and old English writers generally, is toi
familiar a bird to need any description. Few, if any, bird*
have a natural song at once so sweet and powerful at
this, and none have a nicer ear and a more retentive memory.
Take a young male, and instruct it carefully by means of a
flageolet or flute, and it will not only repeat the air played
to it, but imitate the very tones of the instrument with
astonishing fidelity. We have heard thrushes thus in¬
structed whose strain seemed to us the very perfection of
melody, such as only a skilful performer could produce: and
such a one as this is really a valuable bird; better than all
your screeching macaws and screaming parrots, nowever re¬
splendent may be their plumage, and amusing their tricks.
Give us the plain, sober-suited, speckled-breasted thrush,
with its loud sweet song morning- and evening-, its vesper
and matin chants, and never a gaudy stranger would we de¬
sire, although its plumes might be really, as they sometimes
seem, veritable sunbeams of the tropics, diffusing light and
warmth around. If you want to find a thrush's nest you
should look in a holly tree, or some thick close bush; it will
not be far from the ground, but you will most likely have to
prick your fingers to get at it. The materials are twigs,
moss, and grass, closely interwoven. On this is a layer of
cow-dung, covered over with a smooth coating of particles
of decayed wood, cemented together by glutinous saliva;
the eggs are light blue, somewhat speckled at the larger end
with black. You will generally find the first brood fledged by
the beginning of May, but you should endeavour to get
them before this, when they are about ten days old, if you
wish to give them a thorough education. They may be
brought up without much difficulty upon white bread,
soaked in milk, and raw lean meat scraped fine, and mixed
with it. As soon as they can perch let them be put into
separaU cages, or, better still, turned into an empty room;
the young males will soon begin to warble, and may then be
selected for the musical class. It is difficult, and often im-
•111 .1 it__ a!_ _ it.
m
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
plumage, even in the mature birds; Bechstein points out
several marks of distinction, but tbej are by no means to be
depended on. Never, therefore, purchase a thrush until you
have heard it sing-, and if its song is perfect, and the bird
seems healthy and cheerful, do not begrudge a good price
for it.
These birds are very fond of bathing, and may often be
caught in the water-trap, especially in September and Oc¬
tober, early in the morning and late in the evening. In the
spring a fine-toned male may often be secured by means of a
decoy and limed twigs. Barley-meal moistened with water
•—Bechstein says milk, hut we do not advise this—should be
given as a general diet: as occasional delicacies, snails,
which the bird likes to crack, bits of raw or cooked meat
and vegetables. This bird should have plenty of water and
a good large cage, well sanded; in this way it will live and
delight you with its song for six or eight years. In Thu-
ringia, it is said, they sometimes teach the thrush to articu¬
late words. Dealers speak of several varieties of this species,
such as white, white-headed, mottled, gray, <fcc., but these
are merely changes of plumage.
THE MISSEL THRUSH.
We scarcely know if the large, noisy, storm cock, as he is
frequently called, should be included here, but as he is
sometimes kept in confinement, chiefly* we imagine, on ac¬
count of being a very fine and a docile bird, we will give
him the benefit of the doubt. This may be called the king
of the thrush family, being about ten or eleven inches m
length, and stout in proportion. Its habits are much the
same as those of the common thrush, and it may be fed and
treated in a precisely similar manner. It is called the missel
thrush on account of its fondness for the berries of the
mistletoe plant, and storm cock because, as Gilbert White
says, it sings early in the spring- in blowing showery weather
Bechstein describes its natural song as clear and melan¬
choly, consisting of five or six unconnected notes. It is too
loud for the sitting room, and its cage should, therefore, be
hung in an ante-room or large hall. The Germans do not
send us any of these birds, probably not thinking them
worth the trouble of instructing • but they are sometimes
CAGE AND SINGINu BIRDS.
119
taken by English birdcatchers, who offer them for sale.
When first captured they are very wild, and will sometimes
refuse to eat, and die in consequence. After a time they
generally become very tame.
THE BLACKBIRD,
Or black thrush, as it ought, perhaps, to be called, is another
very common and favourite species; it is sometimes termed
the garden ouzel, and such writers as have called the brown
thrush the mavis, have generally spoken of this as the merle;
it is the handsomest bird of the thrush genus, with its jetty
plumes and golden bill, and second to none in powers of
song; its notes are, indeed, more rich and mellow than even
those of its speckled-breasted congener, but they are not so
various, nor so nicely modulated. When wild the blackbird
sings from March to July; it may be heard at all hours 01
the day, but more especially early in the morning and late
in the evening. Like most of the non-migrating birds it is
an early breeder, and often has young in its nest by the end
of March; this nest is somewhat bulky, composed of grass,
moss, and other materials; the inside is generally plastered
with mud, and lined with fine grass, stalks, and hair; the
eggs are bluish green or gray, thickly speckled with brown.
The young should be taken as soon as the tail feathers begin
to show themselves, and reared upon bread and milk, with
an occasional treat of chopped snails, grubs, or caterpillars,
or bits of raw lean meat; the darkest in plumage are the
males; they may be taught to whistle airs very perfectly,
to imitate the songs of other birds, and even to articulate
words.
The merle is a shy bird, and generally difficult to catch;
it will seldom come to the barn-floor trap; after dusk it may
sometimes be taken in the water-trap, and in winter, when
pressed for food, in the large tit-trap, and by means of nooses
and springes baited with service berries, ar limed twigs set
round a space cleared of snow. When wild its food is the
same as that of the common thrush; in the aviary it will
feed on the universal paste, or, indeed, almost anything that
is given to it; but it is best kept in a large cage, as it is apt
to be tyrannical, and will sometimes, like the titmouse, kill
weaker birds. It is fond of bathing, and therefore should
120
JAGE AND SINQIJTO BIRDS.
he allowed plenty of water: if properly treated, it will live
long in confinement—Bechstein says, from twelve to sixteen
years. The female of this species differs considerably in
colour from the male; instead of the beautiful glossy black,
her plumage is more of a brown, but with gray margins to
most of the feathers; until after the first moult the young
birds most nearly resemble the female. Several so-called
varieties of this species are spoken of, such as gray, varie¬
gated, white headed, and even white blackbirds, strange as
the term may sound; we would rather avoid the misnomer,
and say white ouzels; all these, however, may come from
the same nest, and have nothing distinctive about them, ex¬
cept the accidental change of plumage.
THE RING OUZEL
Is a summer visitant only in Britain; it is somewhat larger
than the blackbird, which it closely resembles in general
conformation and manners. The plumage is generally black,
with a crescent-shaped mark of white across the upper part of
the breast, which, viewed in front, looks like a broad ring
encircling the neck—hence the common name of the bird.
It is a shy wild species, inhabiting chiefly rocky glens and
ravines; it builds a nest much like that of the blackbird, and
places it on the ground, commonly under the shelter of some
precipitous bank, hidden by rank herbage, and near to b
stream. Its eggs are like those of its jetty-plumed congener,
and its mode of treatment in a confined state may be the
same as is recommended for that bird. Its voice is described
by Bechstein as hoarse, hollow, and so weak, that a redbreast
can overpower it; yet it is, he says, not disagreeable. We
are not aware that any attempts have ever been made to cul¬
tivate its musical powers, but we see no reason why suck
should not be successful; it is a handsome bird, and accord
ing to Hewitson, sings sweetly when wild; Selby says,
clearly and powerfully, although the notes are few, and this
is as much as could be said of the untaught song of the
blackbird. It sings in confinement all through the year,
except when moulting, and will live six or seven years.
THE WATER OUZEL,
Or dipper, as it is often called, is a very interesting species.
Golden Ojriole.— P.'l2l
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
121
on account of its peculiar habits; it is not properly a thrush,
although closely allied to the turdine genus. We have never
seen it as a cage bird, nor do we think it likely that it could
be kept as such without great difficulty, although Bechstein
says, that tne young, which should not be taken from the
nest until nearly fledged, can be easily reared on meal-worms,
ants' eggs, and bread soaked in milk. The want of " water
privileges" so to speak, would, we apprehend, be the great
obstacle to keeping the dipper in a healthy state in the
aviary; in its wild state it frequents the banks of rivers and
streams, beneath whose surface it often goes in search of
food, which consists chiefly of aquatic insects, small fish,
and molluscae. It is about the size of a starling, and has
longish legs, a stout body, and short cocked-up tail, like that
of the wren: white, black, brown, and gray, are the colours
of its plumage; its eggs are pure white, and its nest of root
fibres, grass, and moss; it is usually placed among stones
amid its favourite haunts. It has a sonorous song, not un¬
pleasant, especially, as Bechstein observes, when heard in
the open air and in the winter; this author tells us that it
may be taken without difficulty by means of limed twigs,
baited with live meal-worms, and that it may be inured to
the universal paste by a judicious use of meal-worms, ants'
eggs, or flies.
THE GOLDEN ORIOLE.
As we have travelled out of the thrush genus, we may as
well go a step further, and include this very beautiful and,
to us, rare bird. The orioles are chiefly inhabitants of the
warmer parts of Asia and Africa, and this one comes as a
migrant every year into Europe, and occasionally visits
Britain. It is about the size of a blackbird, but of a more
slender make, and altogether of a more elegant and distin¬
guished appearance ; the principal colour of the plumage is
a rich golden yellow, beautifully relieved by black on the
wing coverts and tail; the female has less of this golden
tint, and more of olive in her dress. Most persons have
read an account of the curious purse-shaped nest of the
golden oriole, but as the bird does not breed with us, we
need not occupy our space with such particulars, nor say
aught about modes of capture, nor treatment of young.
122
CAGE AN© SINGING BIRDS.
Orioles when wild feed upon fruit and insects; in confine¬
ment they should have a good proportion of such food—
cherries they are especially fond of; they must be kept in a
large cage, and not let loose in the aviary, as they are quar¬
relsome and spiteful. The cage at night should have a
thick covering, or they will be very restless, and rub off their
feathers against the bars. The ?nptive male becomes like
the female, losing the beautiful black and yellow colours.
They have not much of a natural song, but may be taught
to pipe and whistle airs, if taken young.
CROWS, &c.
Among the corvine birds, or crows, are several species
which, on account of their entertaining manners and facility
of uttering articulate sounds, are frequently found in a domes¬
ticated state ; they are neither very elegant nor very cleanly
cage birds, but they are often extremely amusing, and
although generally full of mischief, and at times spiteful
and savage, yet we tolerate and even cherish them in and
about our homes, for the same reason as induces us to make
pets of monkeys, and bosom friends of some really very dis¬
gusting, unclean, and unloveable creatures. And what is
that reason ? If our readers seriously ask the question, we
must confess our inability to answer it. The philosophy ot
the thing has yet, we fancy, to be discovered. Perhaps, to a
believer in the doctrine of transmigration of souls it might
be all clear enough; ties of relationship, and so forth, would
explain the matter; but to us it does appear a great mystery,
about which we do not care to bother our brains at present,
our business being not to explain why these greedy, thievish,
noisy, and conceited feathered bipeds are thus cherished and
protected, but how they are to be treated in that state of
dependency on man in which it pleases us to place them.
THE RAVEN.
This is the king of the crow family, a grave, stately bird,
with a saintly aspect, and a voice that sounds like one from
a sepulchre; a grim, ungainly creature, for ever turning his
head to look over his shoulder, as though pursued by an
evil conscience. A strange mystery seems to hang about
the raven—a shadow that may not be lifted he is the bird
SAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
123
of night, and of doom, and of all kinds of dreariness; and
half the stories are true that are told about him, he must
possess an intuitive knowledge of things celestial and ter¬
restrial, greater than any witch or wizard that ever flew
upon a broomstick, or fished with the rod of enchantment
for the souls of men.
If you have a fancy for a pet raven, and cannot purchase
one already tamed, try and get a nest of young squabs: it
is not easy to do this, for the bird chooses the tops of very
high trees and inaccessible places to build in, and the
species is by no means plentiful in this country; however, it
may he done: try and get the little croakers when about half
fledged, that is, twelve days' old or so; feed them upon
bread and milk, meat, raw or cooked, worms, cockchafers,
and other insects, and the entrails of rabbits, fowls, or
pigeons. When fully grown, they will eat almost anything,
and will need no pampering; candles, soap, or shoe leather—
nothing will come amiss to them—and what they cannot
eat they will pull to pieces, or hide away in some cunning
hole or corner. When young, you may easily teach them to
talk, by repeating to them frequently the words you wish
them to utter, rewarding their efforts at imitation with
some dainty morsel of food: there is hardly anything that
a raven cannot say, if pains be taken to teach it, and the
memory of the bird is truly wonderful: the amusing anec¬
dotes which one might tell of its powers of speech would fill
a good-sized book, but here we have no room for anec¬
dotes.
Ravens are generally allowed the range of the premises,
but it is best to let them have some snug comer in an out¬
house, a trellissed pen, with a canvas or wooden roof, in
the yard, or other sheltered place to retire into when they
please; they are dirty birds, and should not be allowed to
harbour or sleep in the kitchen, or in any part of the dwel¬
ling. These birds often live to a very great age, and
become quite heir-looms in a family ; their once glossy
black coat then becomes rough and rusty-looking, and
is sometimes spotted with gray.
THE JACKDAW.
This bird is very easily tamed; in its natural state it is
124
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
bold and familiar, and soon becomes accustomed to the care
and company of man; it is pert, lively, and amusing, and
seems to understand readily all that is said to it. With
speaking- powers, perhaps, inferior to those of the pre¬
ceding species, it is more highly prized on account of its
companionable qualities: it will frequently become so tame
as to follow his master in his walks, to fetch and carry,
and come and go at command. Old birds, when taken,
should have their wings cut, and this operation must be
repeated twice a year, in spring and autumn: after a while,
they may be suffered to go at large, and to visit their old
haunts in the church steeple, or ruined turret, rocky ledge,
bank, or hollow tree; to such places, those who want a
nest of young jackdaws must resort; they should not be
taken until nearly fledged, and may be brought up on the
same kind of food as young ravens. If hung out in a
wicker cage near their places of birth, the parent birds wili
frequently attend to them until they are old enough to care
for themselves, when they will soon make friends with the
cook, and manifest a great desire to learn all about the
operations of the culinary department of the establish¬
ment.
THE MAGPIE.
Who does not know and admire the cunning magpie, with
its head constantly awry, prying into the secrets of every
nook and corner, and purloining whatever it can lay its bill
upon, especially if it be of a bright and glittering nature ?
A truly handsome bird is "the chattering pie:" to see him
in the sunshine, with his rich black and white plumage,
bronzed with green and purple on the wings, and long tail,
sometimes spread out like a fan, is a sight worth looking at.
If ever we make up our minds to have one of the crow tribe
as part of our family circle, this will be the bird: but then
the silver spoons ? Alas, that the beautiful should not
always be the good ! These birds, if taken from the nest
when quite young, that is, about a fortnight old, and care¬
fully instructed, will imitate the human voice, and almost
any other sound. They should be fed at first on bread
soaked in milk and water; afterwards on meat, raw or
cooked, chopped smalls wban thev have nearly acquired
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
136
their full growth any refuse kitchen stuff will do for them:
they are fond of rotten apples and pears, which are useless
for any other purpose. When nearly fledged they may be
allowed to fly to a neighbouring tree, and lured back by
means of food. A good deal of liberty may at all times
be allowed them : if well fed and treated they will not abuse
their opportunities of escape. It is well to clip their wings
twice a year.
THE JAY.
This beautiful bird may be not unfrequently seen confined
in a wicker or other large cage : it is docile and teachable,
and learns to utter words, though in a very unconnected
manner. Bechstein says that it can also be taught to
imitate little airs on the trumpet, and the songs of other
birds, but we have never seen one so accomplished. The
nest of the jay, like that of the magpie, is generally built in
a tall tree: the eggs are five or six in number, of an ash
colour, spotted with brown. The young should be taken
when about fourteen days old, and fed on curds, bread,
and meat. The old. birds are very fond of nuts and
acorns: they will eat bran soaked m milk, and a great
variety of substances; but the best food for them is wheat.
They are dirty birds, and apt to soil their plumage, which
spoils their appearance: give them plenty of water for drinking
and bathing. If you want to catch an old jay or two, place
limed twigs in a particular spot, and then imitate the cry of an
owl: between these two birds there seems to be a natural enmitv
and the rvhoo rvhoo of the goggle-eyed hooter will generally
attract a considerable number of the blue-wmged screamers.
In Germany the jay appears to be more esteemed as a cage
bird than it is in this country: the peasants of Thuringia
take great pains with its education.
THE STARLING.
Lawrence Sterne has given to this pretty and clever bird
a wide spread reputation. " I can't get out" are the words
which seem to greet our ears whenever we speak or think of
it. A lively bird is the speckled stare, as many people call
it, and a general favourite on account of its sociability and
attractive qualities, even more than its beauty. A co- stant
^eaident in this country, ftnd generally, although locally
126
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
distributed, it is in its wild state a tolerably familiar bird
and, therefore, scarcely needs a description. Its general
nesting places are hollow trees, old buildings, and holes in
rocks and chalk pits. Its eggs are of a pale greenish blue
colour, of a longish oval form, and about an inch and
a quarter long. It is a gregarious bird, and flies ra¬
pidly, feeding generally on insects and worms, for which it
hunts the pasture and arable lands, frequenting most those in
which sheep or cattle are fed. It is especially fond of the
small meadow grasshopper, and takes both fruit and grain
in due season. It sometimes frequents the shores for marine
worms, and marshy places, where nets are often set in
the reeds for its capture. This may also be effected in the
winter by means of limed twigs set round a spot cleared of
snow, baited with worms.
The starling belongs to the crow tribe, of which it is the
smallest resident species. It is a most elegant bird, both in
shape and colour, and one whose powers of imitation are
only equalled by its docile and affectionate disposition.
Young starlings should be taken from the nest before they are
fledged, and reared upon bread and milk: they will learn to
whistle an air more clearly and perfectly than almost any
other bird. Their memories, generally speaking, are ex¬
cellent, so that there is seldom any confusion of the pas¬
sages, that is, if they are thoroughly and carefully taught;
the females, as well as the males, are capable of being so in¬
structed. Sagacious as a dog, and as gentle and obedient,
too, the starling well deserves to be what it is, a great fa¬
vourite with most bird-fanciers; it will talk like a parrot,
perch upon the shoulders of those it loves, caress them, and
follow them whithersoever they go ; it is gentle and kind to
its fellow inhabitant of the aviary, is subject to few diseases,
and generally a long liver. Its natural song is by no means
unmelodious, having a peculiar harp-like sound It will eat
the universal paste, meat, bread, insects—almost anything
that is not sour. Water to drink and to wash its glossy
speckled plumes the starling requires in plenty, as it adds
cleanliness to its other good qualities.
PAEEOTS.
We now enter upon the consideration of a tribe of birds
CAGE AND SINGING BIHD8
12?
totally distinct from any that we have yet described—a
large-billed, harsh-voiced, gaily-attired family, including
very many species, most of which are natives, and, in a wild
state, inhabitants of tropical countries. These birds are placed
by most naturalists in the scansorial, or climbing order, and
nder the generic term psittacidce: their claws, which are
stout and muscular, are admirably adapted for grasping and
climbing, being armed with sharp curved talons, and pecu¬
liarly placed—two of them projecting forward, and two
backward. They have a thick fleshy tongue, which accounts
for their extraordinary powers of articulation, and are alto¬
gether very remarkable and interesting birds. Of their
habits in a wild state it does not fall within our province tc
speak at any length, but we may state one or two general
facts. They feed much upon the kernels of fruits, and for
cracking the hard shells which cover these, are provided
with a powerful instrument in the bill, the muscles regulat¬
ing the movements of which are strong and numerous; the
upper division of this beak is bony, and is connected with
the skull by means of a joint, so that, unlike most animals,
which can move the lower jaw only, parrots can move both.
The tongue is a highly sensitive organ of taste, closely resem¬
bling that of the human species; the surface membrane is
covered with little irregular dots, and moistened with saliva.
They are mostly gregarious birds, and have a rapid, elegant,
and vigorous flight, capable of being long sustained. They
build chiefly in hollow trees, laying but two eggs at the
time, and breeding twice a year; the period of incubation
varies in different species, but generally it is about twenty
days; the young are not full grown until' they are twelve
or fifteen months old, nor do they acquire their full beauty
of plumage until some time after this. Very rarely has it
been known that they breed in confinement; in this country
we believe they have never done so. They are long lived
birds, not unfrequently attaining the age of forty years—in
one or two instances as much as eighty. La Yalliant men¬
tions one which he saw when it was ninety-three years
old.
Plutarch, Ovid, Pliny, and other Greek and Roman
writers, allude to parrots, which must have been introduced
into Europe at a very larly period. They a. t to have
128
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS
been high in favour with nobles and princes, and to have
been held in something like religious veneration by the
common people. When they were first brought into this
country has not been clearly ascertained. It will be con¬
venient for our purpose to arrange them into six divisions,
viz.. macaws, parrots, parrakeets, cockatoos, lories, and love*
Birds
THE RED AND BLUE MACAW
This is one of the largest of the parrot tribe, being about
two feet eight inches long, or as large as a good-sized
fowl. The prevailing colour of its plumage is a bright
vermilion; the back and rump are light blue, and the
larger wing-coverts have a portion of this colour, mingled
with green and yellow; a whitish wrinkled skin covers the
cheeks, similar in colour to the upper mandible, which
projects considerably beyond the lower, where the hue is
blackish; the feet are gray
THE BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW
Is about the same size as the above-named species, of which
it is by some thought to be only a variety. It is a very
beautiful bird, handsomer, as many think, than its scarlet re¬
lative, although its hues are not so gorgeous. The whole
upper part of the body is a rich blue, changing at the
smaller wing-coverts and sides of the neck, and top of the
head, into pale green. The whole of the beak is black, and
a collar of the same extends part of the way round the
throat; the cheeks are pale flesh colour, waved with black;
the under part of the body is a fine saffron yellow, and the
long wedge-shaped tail is blue, the feathers being edged
with violet, and marked at the base with black; the feet
are dark ashen gray.
Neither of these macaws exhibit much variation of
plumage in different individuals; nor is the female very
different from the male. They are natives of Brazil,
Guiana, and other parts of South America, where they feed
much on the seed of the fan-palm, being generally met
with in pairs among the marshy swamps. Old birds can
rarely be tamed, and never taught to speak; but the young
are docile and intelligent pupils, becoming very loquacious,
CAGE AND SINGING BI11DS.
129
and imitating- all kinds of noises. They may be fed upon
bread and milk, mixed with hemp-seed, which should be
reviously scalded; broken biscuit should also occasionally
e g-iven, and some ripe fruit when it is in season. Meat,
sugar, and sweetmeats are frequently given, but these are all
unwholesome; they heat the system, and cause the bird to
feel uncomfortable, so that it pulls out its feathers and bites
its flesh, and becomes a misery to itself, and an unsightly
object to look upon. Macaws drink but little, perhaps
because their food is generally moist; but they should
always have water within reach; bathing keeps them in
health and promotes cleanliness, which is very necessary, as
they are naturally dirty birds. They are best kept upon a
stand, fastened with a small chain; but they should be
cautiously approached by strangers and children, as they
are apt to be spiteful. They show to most advantage loose
m an aviary, where they have space to display their re
splendent plumes.
THE GREAT GREEN MACAW.
This, like the preceding species, is a native of South
America; but if we may judge from its extreme scarcity
and high price in Europe, it must be a much rarer bird.
It seldom exceeds two feet in length, including the very
long tail. The plumage is nearly all of a green colour,,
varying from a grassy tint to a deep olive, and running
at places into a blue. The beak is large and black,
the feet brownish flesh colour, and in the rump feathers
there is a slight admixture of red; the two middle tail
feathers are much longer than the rest; this, indeed, is the
case with all the macaws that we nave seen; and these
feathers, like the rest of those on the tail, are red at the
roots, blue in the centre, and green at the tips. This is a
very docile and talkative bird, if the manners of the few-
specimens which we have had an opportunity of observing
may be taken as indicative of its general character. It may
be treated like the macaws last described, with which it
makes up a beautiful family group, although he would be a
fortunate fancier who possessed them all. From these grace¬
ful and elegant creatures, conspicuous on accounr, of tha
K
130
length of their tails, we must now divert our attention ui
those generally distinguished by their short and even tails
THE ILLINOIS PARROT.
This is a well-known species in England, being that which
is most commonly met with in the shop of the dealer, and,
as a matter of course, in the private residence. It is taken
in great numbers in the more southerly of the United States,
and forms quite a considerable article of export trade. It is
not nearly so large as the macaws, being usually about nine
inches long; the prevailing colour of the plumage is a rich
green, which changes in the under parts of the body to
yellowish gray; the forehead, cheeks, and throat are a
brilliant orange colour; the beak is light gray; and the eye
encircled with a naked skin of the same tint. This bird, in
its native savannahs, associates in flocks of several hundreds,
and, in confinement, evinces the same sociability of dis¬
position : it is gentle, affectionate, and intelligent, although
by no means so fluent a talker as some of its tribe. It feeds,
when wild, much upon chestnuts, acorns, and peas, which
may occasionally be given to it in confinement; its chief food
should be bread and milk. A pair of these birds will live
very happily together in a large brass wire cage; they
become so attached to each other's company that, if one
dies, the other seldom survives the loss long.
THE ASH-COLOURED PARROT.
This bird is a native of Guinea and other parts of Africa
it is about the size of a pigeon, and one of the commonest of
the domesticated species; the plumage throughout is of a
silvery gray, except the short tail, which is crimson, and the,
bill, which is black. A gentle and familiar bird, a capital
mimic, and a fluent talker, the plain gray parrot is a more
general favourite than many of its gaily-attired congeners:
it is one of the few parrots which may be trusted with
children, the company of which it really seems to prefer
In its wild state, this bird lives almost entirely on fruit and
grain: it is very fond of the seed of the sunflower, on whiclf
it thrives and grows fat; bread and milk and fruit should be
its diet in confinement; dainty morsels from the table it will
be well pleased to receive, but it is mistaken kindness to gwa
SJNG1NO BIRD9.
131
them; swollen and gouty feet are generally the result of
such indul gen ces, ■ and for these there does not appear to be
any cure. Buffon relates that a pair of birds of this species
bred in confinement for several successive seasons; but this
was in the South of France, where the climate is more genial
than with us. They have, however, been known to lay eggs
in this country several iJmes.
THE AMAZON TARROT.
This is another common species in England, being brought
over in great numbers from South America : it is about the
same size as the gray parrot; its plumage is chiefly green,
changing in many parts into yellow, and marked here and
there with red, blue, and black; the bill is of the latter
colour, and the feet ashen-gray. It is a very teachable bird,
and requires, perhaps, less care than any other of its tribe; it
may generally be bought cheap.
THE YELLOW-HEADED AMAZON PARROT.
This is a much rarer and handsomer bird than the last;
but whoever has it must be content with its beauty alone, as
it seems incapable of learning anything, and utters only its
natural harsh scream: its colours, though pretty much the
same as those of the common species, are more distinct and
decided; the top of the head, as well as a band round the
knees, are of a rich golden yellow. There are several
varieties of this bird—which, indeed, we are inclined to think
is itself but a variety of the one last described—as, for in¬
stance, one with the forehead a pale yellow, and the general
tints of the plumage lighter; another, with the forehead and
sides of the head a clear yellow; and another, having the
yellow of the head mixed with gray. We need scarcely say
that this bird also comes from South America.
THE CAROLrNA PARROT
Is. properly, a native of Guiana and other parts of South
America; but, migrating in autumn to Carolina and Virginia,
is there taken and conveyed to Europe: it is about thirteen
inches in length, with a wedge-shaped tail; the front of the
head is a deep orange colour, which fades off at the back of
the head, neck, and throat, into pale yellow; the re** thai
182
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
plumage is chiefly green, with brown and orange markings,
»nd inclining at places to blue. It is a very noisy bird, but
a poor talker; its beauty and tameness being its chiet recom¬
mendations. In its wild state it feeds chiefly on the kernels
of stone-fruit.
THE AMBOYNA PARROT
Ts a very gorgeous bird, and ought, perhaps, to be placed
among the lories, which are distinguished by the richness of
their colours: it is about sixteen inches long—the tail,
rounded at the end, measuring half this length; the head,
upper part of the neck, and lower part of the body, are a rich
vermillion; the back is a fine green, turning to blue at the
edges of the feathers and on the rump; the tail is black,
with faint blue and green stripes, and there is a small band
of the former colour extending from the neck downward;
the upper mandible of the bill is orange-coloured, the lower
black; there is no cere or naked membrane on the cheeks.
The female is nearly all green. This bird has a shrill pipe:
it does not speak: the feathers are remarkably loose, so as
to come off when the bird is handled; but they soon grow
again.
THE WHITE-FRONTED PARROT.
This bird, which is found in some of the West Indian
Islands, as well as South America, is one of the most com¬
mon and tractable of the tribe; it has a particular aptitude
for imitating the voices of animals, such as cats, dogs, and
sheep, which renders it very amusing-. It is about the
size of a pigeon, and the predominating colour of the
plumage is green, intermixed with bright red, the latter
tint prevailing on the cheeks, throat, and anterior part ol
the neck, and edging the pinion feathers : considerable
variation in the colours occurs in this bird ; sometimes the
beak is flesh-coloured, sometimes bright yellow and whitish;
now the head, as far as the vertex, is white; now, only the
forehead; there is generally a white circle round the eyes,
and the feet are dark brown.
THE BLUE-FACED PARROT
Is also a South American bird, being most commonlv
CAGE AND SI NO! NO BIRDS.
133
m Guiana; it is about the same size as the last-mentioned
species, has a green body, with blue pinion feathers, some
of them tipped with red; the neck and upper part of the
breast,is also red, the throat and front of the head blue; the
feet, and a circle round the eyes, are flesh-coloured, and the
bill horn-coloured with an orange stripe on each side of the
upper mandible; the tail-feathers are a mixture of green,
blue, and red. There are several varieties of this bird, none
of which are at all common ; it is not easily taught, and has
% shrill cry like gir-rjir, which it utters incessantly.
TH3 BLUE-HEADED PARROT.
This is an East Indian bird, a very beautiful and by no
means rare species; it is about eleven inches and a hall
long, the tail being about six inches: it has a blue head, and
a violet throat, with a silvery reflection playing about it;
the whole of the body is green, inclining on the under part
to yellow; of this latter colour is also the upper mandible
of the bill, the lower one being ashy gray, like the claws,
and the naked space round the eyes; the tail-feathers, of
which the two centre ones are four inches longer than the
rest, vary from green to blue; some of them are lined and
edged with yellow. We are not aware that the bird has
ever been taught to speak.
THE ANGOLA YELLOW PARROT
Is about the same size as the last; it has a conical tail, over
about one-third of which the wings extend when closed :
the prominent colour of the plumage is an orange yellow,
varied with green and blue; the beak and feet are gray, as
is the throat, a circle round the eyes, and the cere. The
name of this bird indicates the place from whence it comes:
it may be taught to speak very distinctly.
THE MORETON BAY PARROT
Is a smaller species, with golden-tinted plumage, which may
sometimes, but very rarely, be met with; it is a splendid
bird, and, on account of its rarity, of great value. Of its
natural history little or nothino- seems to be known; in con
flneuient it may be treated like the rest of its family.
134
CAGE AND SIEGING BIRDS.
THE GRAY-BREASTED PARROT.
Tiiis pretty bird is about ten inches long; it is a South
American species, being found chicly in Buenos Ayres. It
very much resembles an owl about the head, the beak
Geing small and obtuse, and the gray feathers of the cheeks
much puffed up. Siskin green, verging into yellow, and
silvery gray, are its prevailing colours; here and there is a
tinge of blue, and the whole of the tints shift and change
with the motions of the bird in a very beautiful manner.
J't is very docile, and readily learns to speak, but rarely lives
' ong in confinement.
THE BLUE-THROATED PARROT
[s an extremely rare bird, about the same size as the ash-
eoloured species, which it much resembles in its general
characteristics; the head, neck, and a portion of the breast
are a fine indigo blue, deepening at places into purple; on
each side of the head is a spot of black, and one of red on
either side of the upper mandible of the bill, which is of a
dark horn colour; the back, belly, thighs, and wings are
green, shaded with blue and yellow, as are the tail-feathers,
and the vent scarlet; the colour of the stout feet is gray.
THE GREEN TRINIDAD PARROT.
This West Indian bird is about nine inches long; it is a
handsome, lively species, with a body of dark green, red and
blue wings, and scarlet head, the latte? is of small size; it
is a tame, affectionate little creature, not much of a talker,
but interesting from its beauty and engaging manners: it
must be kept warm.
THE LONG-TAILED GREEN PARRAKEET.
Parrakeet is the name generally given to the smaller
kinds of parrots, from which birds the species placed under
this head do not otherwise differ than in size: the term is
somewhat arbitrarily applied, so that you will frequently
have the same bird called at one time a parrot, at another, a
parrakeet, as might be expected, there being no exact
Boundary line to divide the larger from the lesser kinds.
Of wrakeets, the one above named is, perhaps, the moat
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
135
frequently seen in this country; in a wild state it is spread
over the whole southern part of the continent of America;
it is also found in the West Indies. It is a noisy bird,,
constantly either screaming or talking, whistling, crowing,
or chattering, or imitating some discordant sound; by no
means delicate in its constitution, nor nice in its choice of
food; its predominant colour is yellowish green, here and
there ornamented with bright yellow and red; its whole
length is about that of a blackbird, but of this the tail
occupies more than half.
THE PAVOUANE PARRAKEET
Is an inhabitant of Guinea, Cayenne, and the Carribbee
Islands; it is about the size of a missel thrush, and has a
tail six inches or more long, the two centre feathers exceeding
the rest in length by one-half; green and yellow are its
chief colours, the former greatly predominating; the latter
deepening into orange on the larger wing-coverts, and
flushing into scarlet on the smaller ones ; the beak is
whitish, or ashy gray, as is the cere ; the feet also are gray,
hut darker; there are some red spots on the cheek, which
do not appear until the bird is upwards of four years old.
This species may often be purchased of the dealers; it has
great imitative powers, and, like the last, is not at ali
delicate.
THE RED AND BLUE HEADED PARRAKEET.
This bird is a native of South America, and generally
comes to us from Germany; it is about ten inches long,
with a tail half that length; the forehead is a brilliant
scarlet, and the vertex a bright blue, which flows down thi
neck and mingles with the grass-green of the whole uppei
part of the body, the under side of which has a golden
tinge; the outer margins of the pinion feathers are blue,
the tail dark green; the beak, cere, and feet are ashy gray,
and the circle round the eyes orange. It is a handsome
bird, but not a good talker; it is not difficult to obtain.
THE CARDINAL PARRAKEET.
This is an East Indian bird, chiefly valued on account oi
its beautiful plumage, being timid and shy, and difficult
136
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
to teach; it is about twelve inches long, with a conical tail,
occupying six and a quarter of these inches; this tail is very
remarkable, the two middle feathers being blue, with white
terminations, the rest green. All the colours of this bird
are extremely rich; the head is violet, shot with blue and
red; round the neck is a ring of glossy black, and the same
hue pervades the throat; the back is a deep green, and
this colour, brightening into yellow, spreads all over the
lower parts of the body; the beak is tinted like a peach-
blossom ; the cere and feet are silvery gray.
The female of this species has a yellow beak, a head of
dingy blue, and no black collar, hut merely a faint yellow
tinge, which seems to mark the place where it should be.
In the young birds the neck-ring is also absent, and the
colours of the head are undecided, varying from red to blue,
and sometimes green.
The birds known as the blossom-headed parrakeet,
the rose-headed ring parrakeet, and the BoRNEAN
parrakeet, appear to be but varieties of this species ; they
are all characterized by the same richness of colour, although
in the distribution of the tints they differ considerably; the
first of them is sometimes improperly called
the red-headed guinea parrakeet,
A title which really belongs to a beautiful species not largei
than the common crossbill, known to dealers as the Guinea
sparrow, to be met with in considerable numbers, as cage
birds, all over Europe, and much esteemed on account of
their beauty, gentleness, and sociability; the predominating
colour of their plumage is green, brightest on the undei
parts; the front of the head, throat, and beak are rosy red;
•edges of the wings and lower parts of the back blue; feet
and bald space round the eyes gray.
In the female the colours are less bright and distinct, and
the edges of the wings are yellow.
These birds appear to inhabit all the southern latitudes of
the old world; those imported into Europe have generally
come from Guinea, Ethiopia, the East Indies, or Java.
This a delicate species, and requires careful management;
the best food for them is bread and milk, with canary seed
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
187
And millet: it can only be taught to utter a few words, and
that not very distinctly.
the rose-ringed parrakeet.
This bird is also sometimes called the Guinea sparrow: in
its habits it closely resembles the last species, but differs
from it greatly in appearance; its body is about six inches
long, and tail about twelve or fourteen; the general colour
is green, of various shades; in the middle of each wing is a
large spot of bright red, and the pinion and tail feathers are
tipped with yellow; the bill is red, and a collar of that
brilliant tint extends from the throat upwards, but not
meeting; seated, as it were, upon this, is a black collar, also
narrowing towards the nape. This bird is a native of the
Philippine Isles, especially Manilla; it has also, been found
In Africa. All its motions are extremely graceful: its dis¬
position is gentle and affectionate, and hence it is a great
favourite, although by no means a fluent talker.
pennant's parrakeet.
This is an Australian bird, being found chiefly about
Botany Bay: it is about the size of a sparrow-hawk, and
has for its predominant colour a fine crimson; the tail is
more than half the length of the bird, of a conical shape,
and dark blue colour; nearly all the feathers are black at
the base, and some of the larger ones edged with bright
blue, and barred across with grass green; the bill is horny
blue, fading into white at the point; the cere, dark blue;
and the feet, brownish flesh-colour. Dealers commonly
call this bird the purple parrot ; the female, whose
plumage is mostly of a greenish yellow, they sell as a
different species, under the name of the palm bird ; they
are delicate creatures, and somewhat shy and intractable;
they have a shrill piping voice, but do not often exercise it.
the two-spotted parrakeet
Is brought principally from the So nth Sea Isles: it is a very
beautiful species, about as large as a turtle-dove, of a slender
and graceful form, with a long drooping tail; its beak and
cere are flesh-coloured, or pale red, the latter having a
bluish reflection ; the head and feet gray, the former having
188
CAGE AMD SINGING BIRDS,
a peculiarly soft, silky appearance, and being tinged towards
the vertex with green, which becomes more decided as it
passes to the back, whence it flows over the whole body in
varying shades, sometimes fading into yellow, sometimes
deepening into blue, and even black; a band of this latter
colour passes across the forehead of the bird, and a trian¬
gular black spot extends on each side, from the base of the
beak over the cheek to the throat; a crimson tint pervades
the under part of the body. There is a variety of this
species with a black beak; it is an agreeable, loquacious, and
very docile bird.
THE LUNATED PARRAKEET,
Sometimes called the red-crescented parrakeet, is about the
same size as the last species, with a conical tail six inches
long, and a deeply indented beak of a whitish horn colour;
the forehead, and a semicircular stripe extending from the
breast to the neck on each side, are bright red, as are also
the lower wing-coverts; the back dark green ; the tail and
upper wing-covert, siskin green, lined with yellow. This is
a lively and noisy bird, fond of screaming and talking,
which it does with great distinctness j it is known to have
attained a great age in confinement.
THE LITTLE BLUE AND GREEN PARRAKEET
Is about the size of the common sparrow, with an orange-
coloured bill, cere, and circle round the eyes, and a green
body prettily marked with blue. It is a native of the
Brazils and Guiana, is rarely seen in this country, is quite
gentle and affectionate, and should be fed on bread and milk,
with hemp and canary seed.
AUSTRALIAN GROUND PARRAKEETS.
These birds are of comparatively recent introduction into
this country; there are several species, or, perhaps, we
should rather say varieties, of them, for they appear to differ
only in the colours of their plumage, which are extremely
vivid and rich,—such as scarlet, crimson, purple, green, and
yellow, from pale primrose to deep orange; they are of small
size, very lively, playful, and affectionate; they run along
the ground with, the same grace and facility as they climb
CAGE AND bifaGlNG BIRDS.
139
trees, a^d hence are called ground parrakeets : the King, the
Roselle, the Crimson-shouldered, the Blood-billed, and the
Barnard, are names given to some of the varieties. Canary
seed and dry crumbled bread is the food that appears to suit
them best; millet would, no doubt, be good for them, and
the seeds of our native grasses.
CERAM, OR VARIEGATED LORY.
All the lories with which we are acquainted arc remark¬
able for the splendid colours of their plumage; the dis¬
tinctive marks of this sub-family of the great parrot tribo
are not easily pointed out, having more to do with internal
structure than external appearance; except to a scientific
naturalist, it is not at all obvious why certain parrots should
be, as it were, set apart from the rest, and called lories and
lorikeets, a name given to smaller birds discovered in Aus¬
tralia and the Pacific Islands, and at present but little
known. The species with which we have commenced our
account of the lories kept as cage birds in this country, is
generally brought from the Malaccas. It is about the size
of a pigeon, and has commonly—for individuals vary con¬
siderably—a bright scarlet body, marked with green and
blue of different shades; the beak is of an orange colour;
the cere and circle round the eyes ashy; the vudd green
and rich violet tints which play about the plumage, shifting
And changing as the bird alters its position in the light, and
the predominance of scarlet in its plumage, render this a
most gorgeous bird: it is very tractable, and may be treated
the same as the ash-coloured parrot.
THE PURPLE-CAPPED LORY.
This also '.s a magnificent bird, about the sameBize as
the last, and a native of the East Indies. It is distinguished
by a cap of purple on the top of the head. Red, green,
blue, and orange, are the prevailing colours of its plu¬
mage, the first occupying the whole space, except the
win"1-coverts, which are covered by the second, and have
scapular edging of the third tint; the orange is confined to
the beak, a band across the breast, and a margin to the tail
feathers. The feet are gray. In the female the breast
band is wanting, or but faintly traced, and the cap is
140
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
smaller. There are varieties in which the rich crimson of
the body fades into white and pale rose colour at several
parts. Bechstein describes this as " the tamest, most
pleasing", and most delicate of all the parrots/' It has a
hollow voice like that of a ventriloquist, and talks inces-
Bantly, piping" in clear round tones, and uttering" its natural
cry, lory, loudly and shrilly.
THE BLACK-CAPPED LORY
is somewhat smaller than the preceding species, which it so
early resembles that one is induced to look upon it as but
variety. It comes from the same part of the world, and
is very rare.
THE SHELL LORY,
Sometimes called the shell parrot, is a beautiful little bird
of recent introduction into this country, not bigger than a
sparrow, decked in crimson, and purple, and gold, with a
tail long and pointed; it is at once gorgeous and graceful.
Of the species there seem to be several varieties; but they
are all exceedingly rare, so that but little is known about
them.
THE GREAT WHITE COCKATOO.
The cockatoos, which derive their name from their usual
call-note, have in the crest, and the lighter colours of the
plumage, very obvious marks of distinction from the rest
of the parrot tribe. The few species with which Euro¬
peans are acquainted, inhabit the forests of Australia and
the Indian isles, where they feed upon the seeds of various
trees and plants, being, by means of their powerful bills,
able to break the hardest shells in which the kernels are
enclosed. As far as their habits in a wild state have been
ascertained, they are similar to those of most other parrots.
When taken irom the nest at an early age they appear to
be easily tamed. Their powers of imitation and utterance
are not good ; they can seldom be taught to articulate
more than two or three words; their extreme beauty and
gentleness of disposition, however, render them very de¬
sirable cage birds. The above-named species is about
seventeen inches long ; the plumage entirely white, with
CAGE \ND SINGING BIRDS.
141
the exception of the large pinion feathers, and those at the
end of the tail, which are a delicate yellow, approaching to
a primrose. The crest feathers are about five inches long,
and can be erected or depressed at will. This elegant
bird has a black beak, and a bald circle round the eyes. It
may be kept in a large wire beli-shaped cage, furnished
with two transverse perches and a moveable ring, on which
the bird delights to sit and swing; or it may be chained t<?
a stand, as parrots are often kept.
THE LESSER WHITE COCKATOO
Is about fourteen inches long. It is sometimes called the
sulphur-crested, on account of the colour of the beautiful
and characteristic ornament of its head. The yellow tint is
more observable in this bird than in the larger species, which
in general conformation, as well as habits and manners,
it closelv resembles. It is very playful and amusing, fond
ot being noticed and caressed; except when excited by plea¬
sure or alarm, the crest feathers are generally depressed,
extending over the nape of the neck.
THE GREAT RED-CRESTED COCKATOO.
This is a noble bird, being about two feet long. The
colour of the plumage is generally white, with here and
there a pale rosy or primrose tinge. The crest is very
large, some of the feathers being six inches long; the lower
part of it is a bright orange red. The beak and feet are lead
coloured, the cere black, and the bald circle round the eyes
pearl gray. It is not so gentle as the two last-named
species, but has a bold defying aspect. It can be taught
to imitate various sounds, especially the cries of animals,
and sometimes crows loudly, Happing its wings the while,
like a veritable chanticleer; it screams out its cwn name,
cockatoo! in a most ear-splitting manner, and every now
and then sends out a note like a trumpet peal, which the
Germans call derdeng.
THE RED-VENTED COCKATOO
Is rather a smaller bird than the last described, being about
the size of the ash-coloured parrot. It has a pale flesh-
coloured beak, but gray at the base, yellowish-red circles
round the eyes, and dull gray feet. It has a small crest, in
142
CAGE AMD SINGING BIRDS.
shape when erected like a mussel-shell; when depressed it
••an scarcely be seen; this is sulphur-coloured at the base
and white at the top, and two or three of the under feathers
being of a bright red gives it a tri-coloured appearance.
The white plumage of this bird has here and there a dash
of sulphur, and the whole of the belly is red, together with
the under-tail feathers. The other cockatoos, of which we
have spoken, generally come to Europe from the Moluccas;
this is most usually brought from the Philippines; it be¬
comes very tame, but does not learn to speak. It does not
call its own name like the rest; but shouts horribly an in¬
describable sort of sound.
THE BANKSIAN COCKATOO
Is the rarest and most costly, as it is also the handsomest
of these crested birds. It is sometimes as much as
thirty inches in length; the prevailing colour of its
plumage is black, the feathers being many of them edged
and spotted with golden yellow. A portion of the tail is a
rich crimson, which merges into orange, and is crossed by
live or six irregular bars of black; stripes of bright and
dark yellow go wavering across the darker plumes like
tongues of flame, and a spot of the same colour terminates
each of the crest feathers. There are two or three varieties
of this superb species, which is a native of New Holland; its
manners resemble those of the other cockatoos, like which it
Niould be treated.
GENERAL TREATMENT OF PARROTS.
Having thus brought our account of the various species of
this gorgeously attired family of birds to a close, it behoves
us to give some general directions for their treatment in
confinement, as the rules on this head which would apply
to most other feathered pets are scarcely applicable to them,
they being, as it were, a class sui generis, with a nature and
habits peculiar to themselves.
First, then, let it be observed that they are, with scarcely
any exceptions, natives of tropical countries, where vegeta-
8ion is abundant, and the heat intense. God made them
with a natulre fitted for such climates: they must have firwifc#
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
143
both pulpy, like cherries, grapes, and pears; and hard, like
nuts, and the kernels of our native plums, peaches, &c.
They must have water to drink and bathe in; as much sun¬
shine as can be given them; and, above all, they must be
kept warm. The room which they inhabit should always
have a fire if the weather is at all chilly; and it is best, at
all events in winter, to cover their cages at night with a cap
of green baize or flannel. Encourage them to take as much
exercise as the limits of their prison will allow : if chained to
a perch, which is the best mode of keeping the larger kinds,
let their chain be of a good length, and as light as a duo
regard to strength will allow : it must be of metal, or they
will soon sever it with their powerful mandibles. If you can
give them an aviary well stocked with orange and myrtle
trees, and other plants which are indigenous to warm
climates, and supplied in the winter with flues and other
contrivances for increasing the temperature, so much the
better, as this is the nearest approach to a state of liberty
which can be made.
Let all that you do to these birds be done with gentleness
and kindness; on no account threaten or attempt to chastise
them; gain their confidence, win their affection, and you
may do anything with them; frighten them, or arouse their
anger, and all your efforts to teach or train them will be
unavailing; they will be either shy and timid, or sullen and
spiteful; your caresses they will reciprocate, and if you
please them will endeavour to please you; and they will also
return in kind, as far as they are able, any ill usage to which
you may subject them. In this respect bird nature is pretty
rifrh like human nature; but there is this difference in the
cases; the unfeathered biped, if punished, may be made to
understand the reasonableness of it, and be reconciled to the
infliction, because salutary, though bitter: the feathered
biped cannot. We have dwelt longer upon this part of our
subject than may to some seem necessary, but we have done
so from a conviction that much suffering has resulted to
domesticated birds, and parrots especially, and much annoy¬
ance and disappointment to those who have kept them, from
want of a due regard to the feelings and predilections qf
these beautiful and often wayward creatures. Children are
frequently suffered to teaze and annoy them, servants t*
144
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
scare and frighten them: tempting morsels are offered to
them and withdrawn, to see what pretty rages they get into,
dogs are set to yelp and jump at them, and all sorts of
positive cruelties perpetrated, to say nothing' of the negative
ones of neglecting to minister to their wants and comforts
regularly and effectually-.
Nothing, perhaps, conduces to the health and vivacity of
a parrot more than cleanliness, and yet how often is this
grievously neglected to save a little trouble. Not only
should this be strictly attended to in the dwelling, but also
in the person of the bird. The feet should be carefully
washed from impurities, and the plumage occasionally
syringed with warm water, if the bathing is neglected, or
fails to remove any defilements contracted. All parrot cages
should have a grating at the bottom, and a drawer supplied
with sifted gravel or very coarse sand, which should be put
in fresh every other day. This grating and the perches
should be occasionally scraped, and the cage itself tho¬
roughly cleansed about once a month, taking care that it is
quite dry before the bird is put into it. The water should
be fresh every day, and also the food of a moist nature
And with regard to food, we would fain offer a few remarks
supplemental to those included in our accounts of the several
species.
Bread and milk is generally the staple prison diet of birds
of this kind, and it should be thus prepared : first, cut the
bread in slices, and pour over it warm water ; let it soak a
short time, and then squeeze it as dry as possible; then
allow it to absorb as much fresh boiled milk as it will
without being too moist: this kind of soft food should not
be exclusively used: an occasional change is necessary, and
this may consist, for the larger kinds, of biscuits broken
small, farinaceous grain, nuts of any kind, except bitter
almonds, and fruit, both hard and soft; Indian corn is good,
but this should be boiled first, drained dry, and suffered to
cool. For the smaller kinds, also, a little fruit, with hemp
seed, canary seed, and millet, &c.
Zinc and pewter food vessels are sometimes used, but
these are liable to be acted on by the moist food, especially if
at all acidulous, and render that which Ho nutritious
highly pernicious. Glass and earthy <he bleat
cage and singing birds.
145
materials, for obvious reasons. We will now devote a little
space to the consideration of the
diseases
to which parrots are especially liable:—Irritability, and a
desire to pluck out the feathers, is occasioned, as we have
already stated, by giving- these birds animal food, which
should always be carefully avoided; it is altogether unnatura/
to them, they being, with two or three exceptions, purely
frugivorous and granivorous birds. When this mistake
is made, and its bad effects follow, apply to the body cf the
sufferer a lotion made of common salt dissolved in spring
water, once a day, and give it nothing but bread and .milk
to eat for a time. Several internal diseases may be pre¬
vented by giving about once a month a few of the pepper
pods called chilies, cut into pieces; these the birds will
eagerly swallow, as if they knew they were designed for a
salutary effect.
Asthma is a disease with which parrots are, perhaps, more
frequently attacked than any other bird; its causes are, a
cola caught through being allowed to remain in a draught
of air, or an undue proportion of hemp-seed in the food, this
being of too heating a nature to be given constantly; its
symptoms are, shortness of the breath, and a frequent
expansion of the beak when the bird is in any way excited; ite
remedies—extra warmth, change of food, if that previously
given has been chiefly dry, now let it be moist and warm :
in severe attacks, give a paste made by boiling a piece of
white bread about the size of a walnut, in four tablespoon-
fills of milk, stirring with a wooden spoon until it becomes an
even pulp; mix with it a few grains of cayenne pepper, and
keep the bird entirely on it for two or three days; it must
be prepared fresh as wanted, as if at all sour, it will prove
injurious ; as an aperient, give also about twice a week a
small portion of lettuce or water-cress.
Atrophy or Wasting, generally caused by the admin¬
istration of improper food. Symptoms: body becomes
emaciated; feathers rough, and disarranged; disgorging
pf the food: treatment similar to that above recommended,
with the addition of a rusty nail put into the water.
• Consumption or Decline.—No assignable cause: loss
L
146
CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS.
of appetite, swelling of the lower parts, and falling away at
the breast, are among the symptoms: a bread and milk diet,
with seed about twice a week; no water on the seed days;
juice of white turnip to drink, and a chili or black pepper¬
corn occasionally, are the best remedies; if taken in good
time, this disease can generally be cured, and when not, the
patient will often live many years with proper care and
attention.
Convulsions, or Fits.—The lories are most subject to
these : take the bird up immediately; open the beak, and
put into it a few drops of cold water; if this does not restore
it to consciousness, plunge it suddenly into a cold bath ; this
failing, draw out one of the tail-feathers, and lay the
Eatient on some cold substance, such as stone or iron: you
ave then done all you can for it. If recovery takes place,
wrap the bird in flannel, and put it in a warm place until
thoroughly dry; afterwards feed it for some time as directed
for asthma; and give it a few drops of spirits of nitre
occasionally m its water.
Costiveness may be detected by frequent and useless
efforts of the bird to void its excrements. Remedies: a
bread and milk diet, with a few shreds of saffron boiled in
the milk; if this is not effective, give about four drops of
castor oil, and introduce into the vent the head of a large
pin dipped in linseed oil.
DiArrhiea, or Scouring.—The cause of this disease
is generally some sudden change of diet, or stale or improper
food, such as unripe fruit, &c.; the symptoms are frequent
evacuations of fluid chalky matter, which adheres to the
vent and lower part of the body, and causes great irritation
in the parts. Remedies: keep the bird unusually warm,
feed it with soaked bread and Indian corn boiled in a decoc¬
tion of lettuce seed; anoint the irritated parts with palm
oil, and give water impregnated with iron to drink, mixed
with a small proportion of milk; chilies are also good in
this complaint, and the yolk of hard boiled egg.
Diseased Feet often result from want of attention to
cleanliness, and sometimes from what we should be inclined
to Call gout, or rheumatism, occasioned by cold settling in
the extremities. In this state the bird is unable to grasp
the perch pronerly, and becomes restless and uneasy; it
cage and singing birds.
14?
should be at once taken out of the cage and put into a
smalbr one, where there is no space for climbing; a tin
vessel should be placed at the bottom supplied with luke¬
warm water for the patient to stand in for about a quarter
of an hour, care being taken to keep up the temperature j
when the time has expired, substitute a dry board, and place
the cage in a warm situation for the feet to get thoroughly
dry; if any sores are observable, they should be sprinkled
over with a little powdered loaf sugar; the bath should be
repeated daily.
Diseased Eyes may proceed from a cold and various
causes; when looking sore and inflamed, they should be
washed with a warm infusion, made by pouring boiling
water over the bruised root of white hellebore; take care
that the hird does not drink any of this, as it is strongly
poisonous. When thus affected, a little juice of red beet-root
given as a drink is serviceable.
Inflammation.—A sudden change of temperature will
not unfrequently cause this disease, which too often
results from want of proper care in covering the birds at
night; the symptoms are dullness and inactivity, with a
disposition to sleep early in the day, and an appearance of
swelling and redness of the veins in the helly. Remedies.
bread and milk and oatmeal grits well boiled, yolk of egg
boiled hard, Indian corn boiled in an infusion of rape-seed
about twice a week, especially if the bowels are relaxed;
remove all the food at night, and place in its stead a little
magnesia mixed with water; put it in a shallow vessel, as
the magnesia sinks to the bottom, and leaves the water clear;
remove this in the morning after the patient has taken a
dose, which he will generally do early, and give the food as
above directed.
Moulting with parrots, as with other birds, occurs once
a year; the tail and wing' feathers are sometimes shed
oftener ; the moult usually lasts from two to three months,
and is often attended with great pain and difficulty. At this
time warmth and extra nourishment ie indispensable. The
following alternation of diet is recommended by one who has
had much experience in these matters:—Hemp-seed, Indian
corn, canary-seed, given separately, each twice a week:
bread and milk, with a few chilies cut small, and mixeO
148
cage and singing birds.
once; on the seed days a little saffron steeped in the water:
should the difficulty of shedding the feathers be very great,
give captains' biscuit, soaked and made hot with cayenne,
about three times a week, and put some stick liquorice in
the water. If the moult goes on quite favourably, and the
bird appears cheerful, but little alteration from the common
diet need be made; warmth is the grand requisite.
Surfeit.—This is usually the effect of stale food, or inu
pure water, want of gravel, or sand, or some neglect of
cleanliness; it shows itself in eruptions about the head,
which discharge an acrid humour, which, if not washed off,
will make the parts over which it flows quite bare of feathers.
A solution of common salt in spring water is the best appli¬
cation, wiping the parts perfectly dry after it, and anointing
them with palm oil. The diet should be scalded bread and
ground rice mixed with milk, in which has been boiled a
little stick liquorice. In this case, also, warmth is the one
thing needful.
Tumours.—Fleshy excrescences so-called sometimes ap¬
pear without any assignable cause; they may be removed
when they have attained a considerable size, by passing a
piece of strong silk round them close down to their junction
with the part to which they are attached; tie the silk so
that you can gradually tighten it; this do, and the tumour
will eventually wither up, and drop off, without giving much
pain to the bird.
Vermin.—The best remedy is the white precipitate lotien,
recommended for canaries, used with all due caution, on ac¬
count of its poisonous nature.
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