BRlTiSH ^»®^ for Ca®s& Aviaries !va Greene. S't ^ t J IP llk^ FOR BARGAINS .N CYCLES, JEWELLERY, BIRDS, PLANTS, GUNS, BOOKS, DOGS, DRESS, MACHINERY, ANIMALS, BRIC-A-BRAC, CAMERAS, INSTRUMENTS, &c., &c. SEE ^^ ©|, Pajaar, 2**" ^ Jonrnal of t|p l^o^^^^^o'"^ A Pabfistid toerv Monday. Wednesday and Friday, AND ARTICLES ON DOG KEEPING, POULTRY KEEPING, SHOWS, HOME MATTERS, CURIOSITIES, STAMPS, SPORT, GAMES, FASHIONS, MECHANICS, PHOTOGRAPHY, PAINT- ING, GARDENING, &c.. &c. And many Illustrations. OF ALL NEWSAGENTS AND BOOKSTALLS. OFFICE: 170, STRAND, LONDON, W.C. PARROTS! PARROTS! PARROTSI GEa GOTTEN, NATURALIST, 50, Rosamond Street East, Manchester. FINE SELECTED BIRDS ALWAYS IN STOCK. All Kinds of Specially Selected Foreign Birds Kept in Stock. GREY PARROTS, BLUE-FRONTED AMAZON PARROTS, INDIAN PARAKEETS, COCKATOOS, LORIES, &c., &c. South African GREY TALKING PARROTS a Speciality* Aviaries Stocked witli every variety of Foreign Birds on Reasonable Terms. ALL KINDS OF FANCY DOGS BOUGHT, SOLO, OR EXCHANGED. Romans' Preserved Ant Eggs UNRIVALLED FOOD FOR INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS, GOLDFISH, &c. Dg^ SOLD IN REGISTERED PACKAGES ONLY . "^K " Undeniably the best thing of its kind in the market." — Bazaar. Tins, 3,'- (equal four 1/- tins) and 1/- ; Packets, 3d. and Id. each. Stocked by most first-class Chemists, Florists, Fishing Tackle Dealers, Ac. The 3/-, 1/-, and 3d. sizes will be sent POST FREE by the Sole Proprietou, E. ROMANS, Llanelly. Jj^" CAUTION.— See thnt the name "ROMANS " ai)i)ears on every Package. AGENTS WANTED— Liberal Trade Discount. DISEASES OF CAGE BIRDS: Their Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment. A Handbook for everyone who keeps a Bird. By Dr. NV. T. Greene, F.Z.S. In paper, price Is., by pout Is. 2(1. NOTES ON CAGE BIRDS. Second Series. Being Practical Hints on the Management of British and Foreign Cage Birds, Hybrids, and Canaries. By various Fanciers. Edited by Dr. W. T. Greene. In cloth gilt, price 6s., hjt post bs. 6d. CRIES AND CALL NOTES OF WILD BIRDS. Described at Length, and in many instances Illus'-.rated by Musica Notation. In paper, price Is., by post l.«. 2il. London: L. UPCOTT GILL, 170, STRAND, W.C. TMe Palace Aviaries, 209 & 211, Sbaftesbury Avenue, -■ LONDON, W.C., n ^be fargcst anb Best IPcntilateb BIRD STORE IN ENGLAND. First Class Acclimatised Tallcing Grey & Amazon Parrots always on hand. Also Tame Talking COCKATOOS and PARRAKBBTS of many varieties. FULL PARTICULARS AND PRICES WILL BE FORWARDED AT ONCE, ON APPLICATION, TO THOSE UNABLE TO MAKE A PERSONAL VISIT. Q. STEPHENS, Proprietor. wmmww% ®00M! CANARY BOOK. The Breeding, Rearing, and Management of all Varieties of Canaries and Canary Mules, and all other matters connected with this Fancy. By Robert L. Wallace. Third Edition. Jji cloth oilt, price 5s., bs post 5«. 4(i. ; with COLOURED PLATES, 6s. bd., by post 6s. lOd. THE GREY PARROT And How to Treat It. By W. T. GREENE, M.D., M.A., F.Z.S., &c. In paper, price Is., by pott Is. 2d. THE SPEAKING PARROTS. The Art of Keeping and Breeding the principal Talking Parrots in Confine- ment. By Dr. KarlRuss. Illustrated with COLOURED PLATES and En- gravings. In cloth 'jilt, price 5s., by post 5s. 4d. POPULAR PARRAKEETS. How to Keep and Breed Them. By DR. W. T. Greene. M.D., M.A., F.Z.S., &c. In paper, price Is., by post Is. 2d. FEATHERED FRIENDS, OLD AND NEW. Being the Experience of many year-s' Observation of the Habits of British and Foreign Cage Birds. By Dr. W. T. Greene, M.D., M.A., F.Z.S., &c. Illustrated. In cloth gilt, priced., bp post 5s. 4d. FAVOURITE FOREIGN BIRDS For Cages and Aviaries. How to Keep them in Health. By W. T. Greene, M.D., M. A., F.Z.S., &c. Fully Illustrated. In cloth gilt, price 2s. bd., by post 2s. 9d. PIGEON KEEPING FOR AMATEURS. A Complete Guide to the Amateur Breeder of Domestic and Fancy Pigeons. By J. C. Lvell. Illustrated. In cloth gilt, price 2s. bd., by post 2s. 9d. ; in paper, price 1«., by post Is. 2d. FANCY PIGEONS. Containing full Directions for the Breeding and Management of Fancy Pigeons, and Descriptions of every known Variety, together with all other Information of Interest or Use to Pigeon Fanciers. Third Edition 18 COLOURED PLA I'l^S and 22 other full-page Illustrations. By J. C. Lvell. In cloth gilt, 2)rice 10s. bd., by post 10s. lOd. BOOK OF THE RABBIT. A Complete Work on Breeding and Rearing all Varieties of Fancy Rabl;its, giving their History, Variations, Uses, Points, Selection, Mating, Management, &c., &c. SECOND EDITION. Edited by Kempster W. Knight. Illustrated with Coloured and other Plates. In cloth gilt, price lOy. bd., by post 10s. lid. DISEASES OF RABBITS. Their Causes, Symptoms, and Cure. With a Chapter on The DISEASES OF Cavies. Reprinted from "The Book of the Rabbit" and "The Guinea Pig for Food, Fur, and Fancy." In paper, price Is., by post Is. 2d. RABBITS FOR PRIZES AND PROFIT. The Proper Management of Fancy R^.bbits in Health and Disease, for Pets or the Market, and Descriptions of every known Variety, with Instructions for Breeding Good Specimens. By Charles Rayson. Illustrated. In cloth gilt, price 2s. bd., by post 2s. Sd. Also in Sections, as follows : General ManagcniPnt of Jtahbif. The Blackbird. after the natural enemies of the gardener than in search of the products of the enclosure itself. Like the Song Thrush, he is resident . in our midst throughout the year, and is generally to be met with in company of his mate, the male and female keeping pretty closely together at all seasons. In the house, a cage like either of those recommended for the Thrush will be found suitable for the Blackbird, or he may be kept in a garden aviary, where he and his mate should be alone, for they are somewhat interfering with other birds, even larger ones than themselves, and there they will show to greater advantage than in the house, FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 13 providing there is not too much cover, in which case they would never be seen at all; but there must be some, or the birds would not feel safe, and might hurt them- selves and spoil their appearance by dashing about in a panic at the sight of a cat or a stranger. Insects, snails, worms and fruit form the diet of the Blackbird in its native haunts; in the house it should be dieted like the Thrush, and will then live for a long time, even twenty years, in health and beauty. There is an absurd notion that hemp-seed is a suitable food for Blackbirds in confinement, and sometimes it is given whole and sometimes crushed ; but the practice only needs mentioning to stand condemned. The nest has been found in December with eggs in it, and the question arises, was it an unusually late or a very early brood.? In all probability it was the latter, for January, February and March, according to the mild- ness of the season, are the months commonly selected by these hardy birds for setting up housekeeping. The second brood is produced in May, as a rule, and there is occasionally a third in June, or even in July. The eggs vary in number from three to six, but more commonly four; the ground colour is pale greenish- blue, thickly marked, especially at the larger end, with lines and small spots of reddish-brown. The nest is placed in a variety of situations, sometimes in a bush, or on a bank, in a hole in a wall, and even on such an unlikely place as a shelf in a tool house. It is constructed on the same principle as that of the Thrush, but has a certain amount of lining, of which the other is destitute. Incubation lasts about fifteen days, and is per- formed by the female alone; both birds, however, attend to the young, and are most energetic in their defence of them, attacking without hesitation, and often successfully beating off, such formidable foes as a cat or a bird of prey, which they intimidate as much by their loud and angry vociferations as by their direct assault with pointed beak and powerful wing. If wanted for training, the young should be taken when the wing and tail quills begin to sprout. They are no more 14 BRITISH BIRDS difficult to rear than those of the Song Thrush when treated as advised for the latter. In confinement the Blackbird will sometimes breed and even successfully rear a brood of young ones, especially in a good-sized garden aviary, but it is not unusual for the eggs to be barren, the male not being nearly as ardent as the Thrush. Alliances with the latter are mentioned, among others by Morris, but from hearsay only, and must be accepted with reserve. The diseases of the Blackbird are much the same as those of the Song Thrush, and are to be treated as advised in the case of that bird. Bechstein mentions, in addition, an obstruction of the rump-gland, which he considers, no doubt correctly, to be due to insufficient bathing. The handsome plumage and rich mellow tones of the male have made the Blackbird a great favourite with persons w^ho like to have tame birds about them, and with justice, for his imitative powers are such, that he will not only pick up and render correctly a tune, or tunes, that may be played or whistled to him, but he will also learn to repeat words and short sentences with extraordinary accuracy. His natural note, however, is broken with a variety of noisy tones, and is more agreeable when heard in the open country from a low bush, or now and then from amid the branches of a moderately high tree, than when uttered in the house. In a state of nature, the song of this species is heard in the spring chiefly, the season of courtship among birds; it is prolonged during the period of incubation, and ceases as soon as the young are hatched, to be renewed again in the autumn; but in the house a Black- bird will sing pretty well all the year round, sometimes not even resting during the period of moult. Many people prefer the song of the Blackbird to that of the Bullfinch, whose voice, as the venerable father of cage-bird lore remarks, is softer and more flute-like, but also more melancholy. The price of the two birds, continues Bechstein, is about the same, when well taught. FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 15 THE RING BLACKBIRD. See Ring Ouzel {under Thrushes). THE BLACK-CAP. See Tit (Great). THE BLACKCAP WARBLER. In the estimation of many people the Blackcap Warbler is, scarcely, if at all, inferior to the Nightingale as a songster. Like the latter, it is a bird of passage, arriving in April and taking its departure in September. During its sojourn with us it lives on a mixed diet of berries and insects, but the young are fed entirely with the latter, chiefly small caterpillars, which do a great deal of harm to vegetation. It is rather smaller than the Nightingale, and is of a general grey colour, darker above than on the under surface of the body. The top of the head is black in the male and chestnut-brown in the female and the young of both sexes. It frequents woods and gardens, often breeding in the latter. The nest, which is compactly built of grass and lined with hair, is usually placed in a low bush, with very little attempt at concealment : the eggs, four or five in number, are creamy-white in colour, spotted and streaked with yellow and brown. There are generally two, but sometimes three nests in the season, the young of the first being, as a rule, males, and those of the later nests females. In the house, this bird must be provided with a large cage, for its plumage is very soft and frays readily, which of course spoils its appearance. It is fond of bathing, and should have full opportunity afforded it for doing so every day. It is not nearly so delicate as the Nightingale with regard to cold, for it has been known to pass the winter in an outdoor aviary in this country without suffering any apparent inconvenience from the exposure. It is extremely fond of bread and milk as well as of fruit of all kinds, but more especially of a ripe pear. 16 BRITISH BIRDS Instances are on record of its having bred not only in a, large aviary out of doors but in a cage ; the birds that did so, however, had been brought up by hand from the nest, a feat that is by no means difficult of accomplish- ment on bread and milk and ants' eggs. The Blackcap is apt to suffer from sore feet unless the perches are well and frequently attended to ; but if the pre- caution of washing and scraping them every two or three days is taken, there will be nothing to fear in this respect. In addition to its own song, which is a very charming one, and would no doubt be thought more of than it is if it were uttered in the stillness of the night, in- stead of in broad daylight and amid a babel of sounds, the Blackcap will pick up a tune that is whistled or played to it on a flute and render the same with amazing correctness. It and will live from ten TiiK Blackcap Warbler. will also learn to say a few words to fourteen years in the house. The concluding remarks relating to the Nightingale are equally applicable in the present instance, and it may be added that hand-reared specimens of this species will breed in a cage or aviary as freely as Canaries, making their compact, but not heavy, nest of hay in a bush if there is one at their disposal, or lacking that, in an ordinary nest- basket similar to those made of wicker for the use of Canaries on the Continent. The lining of the nest merely consists of the finer portions of the hay, but the different FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 17 pieces are very firmly interwoven, so that it really requires an effort to separate them afterwards. The nest differs much in this respect from that of the Nightingale or Robin, both of which are rather loosely put together and will not stand a great amount of handling; indeed they sometimes collapse altogether before the young Robins or Nightingales are ready to fly; but the elastic nest of the Blackcap may often be found in the spring as firm and compact as it was when the little builders first put it together, nearly twelve months before. The Blackcap, like the Nightingale, is an amiable little creature, and never interferes with any other bird. It is amazingly fond of the berries of the ivy, which are usually just ripe when it arrives, and it is curious to see the bird gulp them down whole, apparently without any effort, though in proportion to the size of the swallower they are certainly as large as a good-sized orange would be for us. The young, like those of all the soft-billed species, gape very widely, and the morsel given to them requires to be literally thrust down the throat or they would be unable to swallow it, a fact that must be borne in mind when feeding them ; it is manifest therefore that some finer instrument than even the most taper fingers must be used for the purpose, and the forceps (p. 4) will be found invaluable for the purpose. Young Canaries and other Finches close their short bills on the food presented to them, but young soft-billed birds cannot do this, and must have the food pushed far down, otherwise it will be rejected and the poor birdling be in danger of being starved. THE BLACK GROUSE. See under Grouse. THE BLACK TERN. See under Terns. 1 8 BRITISH BIRDS THE BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. See Bunting (Reed). THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. See under Gulls. THE BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. See under God- wits. THE BLACK-THROATED DIVER. See tinder Divers. THE BLUE TIT. See under Tits. THE BOHEMIAN CHATTERER. See Waxwing. THE BONXIE. See Skua. THE BRAMBLING or BRAMBLE FINCH. See under Finches. THE BRENT GOOSE. See under Geese. FOR CA GES AND A VIA RIES. \ 9 THE BROWN GULL. See Skua. THE BROWN LINNET. See Linnet (Common). THE BROWN PARTRIDGE. See tmder Partridges. THE BROWN SNIPE. See Snipe (Common). THE BULLFINCH. See wider Finches. THE BUNTINGS. The Black-headed Bunting. See Reed Bunting. The Cirl Bunting. Not unlike the Yellow-hammer, but rather smaller, and may be readily distinguished from it by a triangular dark patch under the chin. It arrives in summer and occasion- ally breeds here, but is a nadve of the shores of the INIediterranean and of Asia Minor. The Common or Corn Bunting. Though a resident of this country, this bird is so unpretending in appearance, as well as unobtrusive in habit, that although fairly common everywhere it is very 20 BRITISH BIRDS apt to be overlooked by the casual observer, or confounded with one of the Larks or Pipits : it is dark brownish-grey in colour, about the size of a Skylark, and the male and female are alike. The nest is placed among grass but not on the ground, and the eggs, four or five in number, are greyish-white, spotted and streaked with black and reddish-brown. It has no song to speak of, only a few harsh notes. The Ortolan. Beloved of epicures, to gratify whose taste it is imported in large numbers from the sunny south and fattened, the Ortolan is a very rare visitor to our shores on its own account. It is about the same size and shape as the Yellow- hammer, and may be distinguished by the greenish shade of its plumage, which presents none of the rich yellow markino^s that distino^uish the latter. The Reed Bunting. This bird, also called Black-headed Bunting, is common in the vicinity of water, arriving in April to breed and taking its departure in September. It has a whitish-grey breast, with a black head and chin, the rest of the plumage being brown. The female has no black marks and is not at all unlike a very clean hen Sparrow. The nest is securely fixed among reeds overhanging the water, and there the males sit and sing nearly all night long, while the building of the nest and the process of incubation are going on. The eggs, four to six in number, vary a good deal in appearance in the same nest, and are greyish- white with indistinct markings of a darker colour. The Snow Bunting. This bird is a winter visitor from the Arctic Circle, where it breeds. It is brown and white in colour, rather pretty, prefers a stone to a perch for sitting on, and rarely survives one of our summers, the heat quickly upsetting its liver and killing it. FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. Y\ \ The Yellow-Hammer. This handsome bird is a resident about 6 inches in length, chestnut brown and bright yellow in colour; the female has much less of the latter on her head and neck. Its song is pretty and is commonly represented by the words "a little bit o' bread and no che-ee-se." The nest, very compactly built of grass and roots and lined with hair, is placed in a low bush, and there are three, sometimes four, broods ^^ of five or six each in the year. The eggs are grey, streaked with zig-zag lines of pur- plish brown, and stud- ded with small dark spots. The young are ' easily reared on ants' eggs and bread and milk, as also are those of all the Buntin2:s The Yellow-hammer. THE BUTCHER BIRD. See Shrike (Great). THE BUZZARD. See under Hawks. THE MOOR BUZZARD. See Harrier (Marsh). 2 2 BRITISH BIRDS THE CALANDRA LARK. See luider Larks. THE CARRION CROW. See ufider Crows. THE CHAFFINCH. This bird is not a Finch at all, but a species intermediate between the Finches and the Buntings, for, unlike the Finches, it does not disgorge its food, and, like the Buntings, it consumes as much insect as it does vegetable food, and feeds its young exclusively upon the former. These state- ments may be denied, but can easily be verified by obser- vation, and are commended to the notice of the unprejudiced reader as the result of close personal observation extending over not a few years. The male Chaffinch is a very handsome bird, and when in good feather and health, about one of the most showy that we possess : he is about the same size as a well-grown Canary, but will not produce mules with the latter, or, as far as we are aware, with any other bird, unless it be its very near relation the Brambling, or possibly the American bird known by the name of Nonpareil, which appears to bear considerable likeness to it. It is superfluous to describe in detail the appearance of such a well-known songster as the cock Chaffinch, but it may be briefly stated, that while he is resplendent with pretty well all the colours of the rainbow, his litde hen is an unpretending quakerish-looking person in grey atUre, relieved by bands of white upon the sleeves, that is to say, upon the wings, and both sexes are distinguished by the adornment of a crest, which they raise or depress at pleasure, though that of the male is more conspicuous than the one that is sported by the female. The nest of the Chaffinch is the fie plus ultra of avine architecture, and is pointed to by most writers on the attractive subject of ornithology as the exact model of what a nest should be. It is often placed in an apple or FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 23 other fruit tree, and is made to assimilate with its surround- ings so closely as to render it rather difficult to discover; but the vociferations of the owner often give the clue to its whereabouts. The eggs are four or five in number, of a pale bluish- grey colour, spotted and streaked with purplish-brown. The young of the first nest are for the most part males, second or subsequent brood, females. the and those of The little ones resemble their mother very closely, but the young males have a sub-ruddy tinge on the breast, that is discernible in contrast to the dingier hue of the females. If required for teaching, they must be re- moved from the nest when the tail feathers ap- pear, for if left longer, they would acquire at least part of the paternal song small caterpillars The Chaffinch. Although their natural diet consists of which both parents unite in carrying to them every few minutes, from dawn to dusk, they can be reared readily enough on ants' eggs and bread and milk, if a little pair of forceps be used for conveying the food into their widely gaping mouths ; or if the young are put in a cage and hung up near the place where they were hatched, the parents will feed and attend to them, until they are able to provide for themselves. The song of the Chaffinch is pleasing enough, but varies 2 4 BRITISH BIRDS a good deal, some being much better performers in this respect than others ; but they have no great variety of note, and until within comparatively late years were seldom kept in this country, although long the rage in Germany, where they are scarcely held inferior to the Nightingale. Blindness is not uncommon among them in confinement, and is due to the too generous use of hempseed: it is of course incurable, A good deal of nonsense has been uttered and written on the subject of mules between this bird and the Canary, or some one of the other Finches proper, but when a moment's reflection is bestowed upon the widely divergent habits of the two species, especially in the matter of food, and manner in which they nourish their young, it will be seen, or should be seen, that a fruitful alliance between them is out of the question, for to breed mules, there must be a certain amount of analogy between the parents, while between the Canary and the Chaffinch there is absolutely none, except that they are both small birds, which is not by any means sufficient. Therefore the gentleman who offered £\o for a cross between a Chafirnch and a Canary would have been perfectly safe in increasing his offer to a thousand or even to a million pounds ; but apparently he was of opinion that the smallest premium was enough to stimu- late amateurs of mule breeding, and it is certain that although nearly twenty years have elapsed, the reward has never been claimed. Before attaching any importance to the assertion of the recent occurrence of Canary-Chaffinch hybrids, it would be requisite to ascertain whether the person making it knew a Chaffinch when he saw one, for a good deal of confusion exists in the minds of many people with regard to the proper names for diiferent birds ; thus in some parts the Goldfinch is known as the Red Linnet, and in other quarters he is called a Robin ! Therefore until we know who the supposed possessor of the marvel is, judgment must be suspended. FOR CAGES AND A VIARIES. 25 THE BOHEMIAN CHATTERER. See Waxwing. THE CHIFF-CHAFF. This is the smallest of the summer birds that enhven our woods and gardens by their welcome presence; it is also the first to arrive, having been met with in February, but more generally in March, and departs in October. It is to be feared, however, that these very early visitors often come to an untimely end, not from the cold, but from inability to find any food. It measures about 4 inches in length, nearly half of which belongs to the tail. The upper surface of the body is yellowish-green with a brown tinge, and the under parts are yellowish-white gradually turning to white towards the vent. The Chiff-chaff is an extremely active little creature, and is always on the move; but it is astonishing how a frail creature, that a puff of wind blows out of its course, can traverse vast tracts of sea, as it does, and one wonders how the feat is accomplished. The nest is oval in shape, with a small hole near the top; it is placed on the ground under cover of some small clump of brushwood, or even a tuft of fern or long grass, and is built outwardly of leaves and stalks of grass, the interior being lined with the finer portions of the same and a little hair. The eggs are six or seven in number, and are white, marked with red spots on the larger end. The Chiff-chaff can be readily reared from the nest on ants' eggs and bread and milk, and will live for seven or eight years in the house. Being so small it requires a closely wired cage or aviary, and as it is of an extremely inquisitive nature, it often effects its escape from confine- ment, availing itself of the tiniest opening through which it can manage to squeeze itself. In autumn it visits gardens, but is more usually found in woods and copses. The song of this species is a pretty litde warbling, not sustained, but rather of an intermittent character; the bird is. 26 BRITISH BIRDS however, capable to a great extent of imitating the notes of other birds, and one, hand-reared, that was in the writer's possession for a considerable time had learned of its own accord to imitate the song of a Canary in quite a wonderful manner, considering the relative sizes of the two performers. There is one drawback to keeping this pretty little bird in the house : its natural food consists of insects of the smallest size, such as gnats, aphides, and tiny beetles, so that if it is given mealworms or blackbeetles it will be absolutely necessary to cut them up, or the bird will have not only great difficulty in disposing of them, but they will give rise to indigestion, which of course is much to be deprecated. As the cutting up of live insects with penknife or scissors is objectionable, it is a good plan to kill them by either pouring boiling water on them, or dropping them into it, which at once destroys them, and in the most painless manner possible, as they appear to die instantly without the slightest struggle. THE CHOUGH. At one time the Chough was a sufficiently common bird on the southern and eastern coasts of Great Britain, but his beautiful glossy black plumage, long red bill and orange-coloured legs, marked him out for notice, and he has been in such request not only by aviarists, but by taxidermists and "collectors," that he is now pretty well exterminated. Like the other members of the Crow family, the Cornish Chough will become very tame and as full of quips and cranks as a country circus clown, but his scarcity has made him valuable, and at shows he generally commands a prize. The natural diet of the species consists of insects of all kinds, land and water molluscs, and an occasional bit of carrion for a change : in the house he may be fed like the other members of the family with which he is connected. The female Chough can be distinguished from her mate by her slightly smaller size, her shorter and FOR CAGES AND A VIARIES. 27 straighter bill, and by the less intensely red colour of the latter, as well as of her legs. It may not be generally known that a pair of these birds nest in confinement if they are provided with a suitable lodging, that is, if they are placed in an enclosure of sufficient size to enable them to freely exercise their handsome wings, with some handy ledge of artificial rock- work, on which to construct their inartificial nest of sticks : but they will breed under such circumstances freely and successfully, too ; and now that they are so expensive, rearing a few of them would be well worth the attention of an amateur who has, or could have made, a suitable place for their simple requirements. In the matter of food, there need not be much difficulty, for if a full supply of their natural diet, as indicated above, cannot be obtained, they are not particular, and will do well on all kinds of table scraps and in addition a few insects of some kind. The thievish propensides of the Chough fully equal those of the Raven, the Magpie and the Jackdaw, and the same care must be taken in his case not to leave any glittering objects of small size anywhere, where he would be likely to see them, and be tempted to bear them off. The colour of the plumage is black, with steel-blue reflections on the head and neck, and green on the tail and wings. The young have little of this metallic gloss, and the female is less conspicuous in this respect than her mate. A full-grown Chough weighs fourteen or fifteen ounces. THE CIRL BUNTING. See under Buntings. THE CITRIL FINCH. See Finch (Serin). 2 8 BRITISH BIRDS THE COAL or COLE TIT. See Tit (Great). THE COOT. A rather large bird, measuring i foot 6 inches in length and weighing from i^ pounds to 2 pounds. The general colour is black, the bill and a bare patch above it yellowish- white ; the secondaries have white tips which make a white line across the middle of the wing. The sexes are alike in colour but the female is rather smaller than the male. ,^/7 >^7^ / f^ jh.rf^ Tin: Coot. The eggs vary a good deal in appearance, some being dull yellow, others pale brown with a greenish tinge, and yet others stone colour with brown spots; they are six or seven in number, but occasionally as many as fourteen have been found in one nest. When such is the case, FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 29 no doubt they were the produce of two hens nesting together. The Coot feeds on grass when other food is scarce, but its usual diet consists of small fish, aquatic insects and various kinds of water plants. They swim and dive well although the feet are only semi-palmated, or webbed. THE CORMORANT. Somewhat smaller than the Gannet and of a jet black colour with metallic reflections on the breast; the back and wings have a brownish shade and the neck is grey; a patch of white indicates the insertion of the thighs ; the bill is yellowish greenish-grey and there is a bare space round the lower mandible; the eye is yellowish-green. The eggs, which are small for the size of the bird, are pale bluish-green, two in number, as a rule, and are deposited in a nest of large size generally made on a rock. The parents take the bill of the young into their own crop, after the manner of Pigeons and Parrots. This bird has on several occasions nested and reared its young in the London Zoological Gardens. THE CORN BUNTING. See under Buntings. THE CORN CRAKE. See Landrail {tinder Rails). THE CRESTED TIT. See under Tits. 36 BRITISH BIRDS THE CROSSBILL. .SV. Grosbeak {under Finchesi. THE CROWS. These form a well known group, adequately represented in this country by the Chough, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Nutcracker, Raven, and Rook ; each of which is treated under its own heading. The Carrion Crow. A bird which is sometimes confounded vs-ith the Raven, but is a perfectly distinct species, -with several peculiar characteristics. It is, however, a miniature Raven, and chiefly differs from its congener in size. It measures about 1 8 inches in length, and is of much rarer occurrence than was the case a few years since. It is of rather soHtary habits, living in pairs, which build a big nest of sticks in the top of the highest tree they can find. The young are as easy to rear as those of the Raven, and the bird itself is quite as amusing and interesting as the latter. It is now generally conceded that the Hooded Crow is merely a variety of the one under consideration, for the two birds occasionally interbreed, and the young resemble one or other of the parents and are never blotched or variegated. The fact that the two sorts are rarely found together confirms the belief that the Carrion Crow is dimorphous. The Hooded Crow. Sec Carrion Crow. The Water Crow. S except the primaries, which are black with white tips, and the lower surface is white with a greyish tinge towards the vent. The legs and feet are grey, and the bill is pale vellow. mf ■^K^\i 1 Jerking Gulls. Like the other Gulls this species is susceptible of being tamed, and may. often be seen following the plough with the Rooks. The young are mottled with brown and do not reach maturity for two years. 1^0 R CAGJ^S AND AVIARIES. The Kittiwake. 99 So called from the fancied resemblance of its cry to those syllables. It occurs in considerable numbers in Scot- land and the north of England, but has been much per- secuted by cockney sportsmen. Many instances are on record of the Kittiwake becoming voluntarily semi-domesticated, going and returning from The Kittiwake. its retreat at its own free will, in one case for a period of more than twenty-seven years 1 It nests in May or June and lays two eggs, those in different nests varying greatly in colour and markings. The length of the Kitti- wake is a little over i foot, and its general colour is slate grey on the back and white on the under parts of the body. The Laughing Gull. See Black-headed Gull. loo BRITISri BIRDS The Lesser Black-backed Gull. This Gull is found on the west coasts of England and Scotland and is of much less frequent occurrence in the south and east, although occasionally seen there in the winter. It is about the same size as the Black-headed Gull. TiiK Lesser Black-backed Gull. The nest is placed in all kinds of places and contains, as a rule, three eggs, which vary a good deal in appearance : they are usually laid in June. Wings dark slate-grey with white tips to primaries and secondaries, the rest of the body pale greyish white, beak and legs yellow. FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. loi THE WHITE-HEADED HARPY. Sec Harrier (Marsh). THE HARRIERS. The Hen-Harrier. The male Hen-Hariier (which reads somewhat Hke a contradiction in terms) is by no means '^'a common object" in this country, and does not appear ever to have been of frequent occurrence, at least of late years ; it is one of our smaller Hawks, measuring something over i8 inches, and weighing about a pound (the female is decidedly larger). His general colour is bluish-grey, darker on the upper than on the lower surface ; the feathers of the neck have a dark edging, and those of the tail, except the central pair, are crossed by fine narrow bands of a blackish-grey. The head is grey, and the cere yellow; the legs and feet are yellowish-grey, darker behind than in front. The female is much browner, especially on the back, and she is less spotted than her partner ; even in the nest the distinctions of size and colour are apparent, the females being always darker and bigger than the males. The nest, placed near or even on the ground under furze or other dense cover, is composed of sticks, grass, and other similar material; it is loosely put together, and displays little architectural skill on the part of the builder. The eggs are four or five in number, and are of a light greenish-blue ground colour sparsely spotted with yellowish brown, but they vary a great deal in appearance. Bewick described some as of a reddish ground colour with white spots. This species flies low, but strongly, and is said to be destructive to young game, furred and feathered, for which reason it has incurred the enmity of the gamekeepers and their masters, and is rarely met with now-a-days in a stale of freedom in Eno-land. ^^^ ^t 1 02 BRITISH BIRDS The Marsh Harrier. This bird is also called IMoor Buzzard, Puttock, Duck Hawk, and White-headed Harpy, which last was surely a stretch of imagination on the part of the inventor, for the bird has a light fawn-coloured head thickly marked with narrow black lines; the back is dark brown; the tail and wing-coverts, light lavender blue ; the breast, grey-white ; the abdomen and thigh feathers, dark fawn, marked with black lines. But the birds vary considerably in appearance. The Marsh Harrier is rather larger than the Hen-Harrier, weigh- ing about 21 ounces and measuring from 19 to 21 inches in length. The female is considerably larger than her mate, from which she does not greatly differ in appearance. The young until after the first moult are brown, and have the cere, which is yellow in the adult, of a greenish colour. The nest is usually placed among reeds or bulrushes at the margin of a pond or lake, but occasionally among furze, or on the branches of a tree overhanging the water. The eggs are four or five in number, and are white as a rule, though sometimes they present a bluish tinge. The food of the Marsh Harrier consists of small animals and birds, whether captured alive or found dead, eggs, fish and even large insects. It is said to- attack Gulls and other sea-birds on their return to their nests from their fishing haunts, and to force them to disgorge their prey, which it catches adroitly before the latter reaches the ground. Montagu's Harrier. This is a conspicuously handsome Hawk, of lamentably rare occurrence now, and readily distinguishable from the Marsh Harrier by a narrow white gorget that reaches nearly to the back of the neck. The bill is dark bluish-grey, but the cere is yellow, as are also the long shanks and the feet. The general colour is slate-blue, with dark centres to the feathers, but the flights are brown, and the belly and vent greyish-white with reddish-brown marks; the outer tail feathers are white with broad fawn-coloured spots, and the central pairs blue with very narrow dark edgings. The iris is yellow. FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 103 Montagu's Harrier is one of the smallest of our British Hawks, measuring only 17 or 18 inches in length and weighing under a pound. The female is altogether the larger of the two. The nest is placed on the ground amid furze or other cover, and contains four or five white eggs with a blue shade and occasionally brown spots. The food of this species consists of small birds, their young and eggs, of reptiles, and insects, among the last grasshoppers and large beetles. THE HAWFINCH. See under Finches. THE HAWKS. The Buzzard. This Hawk is still sufficiently abundant in many parts of the United Kingdom, though from some localities it has been entirely banished by the vigilant guardians of game-preserves, where it certainly commits some havoc. It is thought to be migratory, at least in part, but as it has been met with at all seasons, it is more likely that it merely wanders about the country in search of food, without entirely quitting it for any other land across the sea. It is one of the easiest to tame and train of all the Hawks, and is frequently taken captive for that purpose and used in the partially revived "sport" of Hawking, into the mysteries and technicalities of which we will not enter. The rabbit is the natural prey of this bird, and it is probable that had our relations at the Antipodes introduced it instead of going to considerable trouble aud expense to import such uncanny brutes as stoats and weasels, it would have rendered better service than the latter and been open to far less objection in many ways. The Buzzard pairs early in March, and builds on trees as well as on ledges of rock and among precipitous cliffs ; it will also reproduce its species freely in captivity, and a I04 BRITISH BIRDS solitary female will even hatch and carefully bring up young ducks and chicken. The Duck Hawk. See Harrier (Marsh). The Peregrine Falcon. This is a bold and handsome bird, as courageous as docile, and as fearless as beautiful. It was formerly in much request and used to be trained to attack Bustards (now, alas I extinct in Britain), "Herons and Bitterns," and other large birds, and a well-taught "cast" or pair fetched a high price. The habitat of this species is a very wide one, including America, Asia and Africa, "from Greenland's icy moun- tains to India's coral strand" and all intervening places, which, considering the great endurance of the bird and its w^onderful capacity for flight, no less than its extreme hardihood, is not to be wondered at. It is now rare in Britain, and will probably soon be extinct, for it is a poacher and offends against the sacred game-laws. The Peregrine feeds principally upon other birds, attack- ing, killing and bearing off in its talons some as large as itself, or even larger; but it also preys on small quad- rupeds, having been known to master even a hedgehog in spite of that animal's formidable panoply of spines. Cats have occasionally been attacked, and sometimes have turned the tables on the aggressor, while others have succumbed to the Peregrine's ferocious and determined assault. It pairs in the spring, the female as usual being the larger of the two. The nest is built on a ledge of rock in an inaccessible position, and is resorted to year after year, by a new couple of tenants if the old ones have been destroyed; or if one of the pair is killed the survivor promptly finds a partner, and the process of incubation, or of feeding the young, goes on as before. The eggs are generally four in number, of globular form, light red in colour dotted over with patches of a darker shade. Incubation last for about three weeks, and both parents take part in nourishing and defending the young. THE PKREGRINE FALCON. io6 BRITISH BIRDS The male measures about 20 inches in length, and the female as much as 25 or 26 inches, and her weight is proportionately greater than that of her mate, who weighs about two pounds. The upper surface is brown with a black centre to each feather, and the under parts whitish-grey on the neck, brownish on the breast and belly with crescentic dark brown markings, and blue-grey on the vent and under surface of the tail, which is crossed by a number of narrow black bars; the tips of the tail feathers are white. The bill is slate colour and the cere yellow; the legs and feet are yellowish-grey ; and the talons, horn-colour. The Goshawk. The thick head of the Goshawk gives it somewhat of an owlish appearance, which is belied by its audacity and courage. The female is much bigger than the male, but in this instance, at all events, "the best goods are made into the smallest parcels," for he far excels her in prowess, and at one time was valued, notwithstanding his compa- ratively limited powers of flight, for flying at ground game such as hares and rabbits, as well as at pheasants and partridges, which indeed form the bird's natural prey, and it will only take them if alive, utterly disdaining carrion. The nest is made of sticks, and is placed close to the trunk of fir and other tall trees. The eggs vary from two to five in number, the average being three ; they are bluish- white with a few reddish-yellow spots upon them, especially at the larger end. All the upper parts of the Goshawk are dark brown, and the under parts grey with a bluish tint, especially on the sides and vent, thickly dotted with arrow-headed spots of a blackish-grey colour. The cere, the iris, the legs, and strong feet are yellow; the bill and the powerful talons are horn grey. It is a strongly built bird about 18 or 20 inches in length, but the female measures two or three inches more. Macgillivray, after comparing Continental and American Goshawks with some obtained in Britain, found that there FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 107 was no practical difference between them, whether in the adult or immature state. Morris thought that the name Goshawk, variously rendered Goss-hawk, or Gose-hawk, was a corruption of Goose-hawk, so named from the robust shape and size of the bird. The Harriers. See ufider Harriers. The Hobby. This bird is described as "a spirited and daring Hawk" by Morris, but in confinement, at any rate, is very quiet and inoffensive, permitting itself to be bullied to any extent by an impudent Magpie and even by a Jay, but possibly in that case the bird's spirit may have been broken and it may have acquired a timidity that is foreign to its nature. As a British species the Hobby is pretty well extinct, which is to be regretted, for it is not only a handsome but an eminently useful bird, as it feeds largely on the large beetles and moths, the larvae of which are so destructive to growing timber. It also preys on small birds and quadrupeds, and on frogs and other reptiles. The Hobby is a wood-loving species, and makes its nest of sticks among the topmost boughs of tall trees, very often selecting the abandoned abode of some other bird, or, failing that, driving away the rightful owners. The eggs, usually deposited in June, vary from two to four in number; they are white, sometimes with a blue tinge, and are spotted with yellowish-brown. The Hobby has a general air of resemblance to the Peregrine, but its breast is streaked instead of being barred ; it is also of more slender build and has larger wings. A white curved streak surmounts the eye, below which is a black mark, divided at its lower end into a fork. The legs and feet are very dusky yellow, and the iris is about the same colour, the under surface of the wings being light grey. It is very easily domesticated, and will live on the offal procurable from a poulterer, with an occasional change in the shape of a mouse or a Sparrow. Mealworms, too, are favourite morsels, nor will it even disdain the humble blackbeetle, io8 BRITISH BIRDS The Kestrel. This is one of the least of our native Hawks, and a very pretty and interesting bird. It is often named the Windhover, from its habit of soaring in a motionless way in the teeth of the wind ; in some places it is known as the Stonegall, and in others as the Stannel Hawk. The male is 13 inches long, or thereabouts, and the female a little more. The colouring of both sexes is rich chestnut-brown above and grey to white below, streaked and spotted regularly with black. The tail is TlIK Kestret, above which is a broad band are dark greyish-brown with inner webs. The feet are lead-colour with white tips, of black. The primaries round black spots on the yellowish-grey. It is very easily tamed and will breed in confinement, nesting on the ground under some slight cover In its wild state, the nest is often found near the sea shore, but sometimes it is placed in a tree, or in a hole in a bank, or on a ruined building or wall ; in fact, in any place where the bird fancies it will be safe. FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 109 The eggs, which are four or five in number, vary a good deal; one before the author as he writes, is very Uke that of the MerHn, but is shghtly larger and has larger spots not so closely placed together as in the case of the latter. The Kestrel feeds principally on large insects, but it will also catch and kill small birds and mice. If not well supplied with food these birds will soon attack each other in confinement, and the vanquished will be incontinently devoured by the victor. Like all the Hawks and other birds of prey, even the Nightingale, the Kestrel ejects the indigestible portions of its food in little masses of an oblong form technically known as "pellets." The Kite. This bird is the head of the Milvine Family and the last of the Hawks, properly so called. Its name is syno- nymous with that of thief, robber, bandit and coward, though why it should have been so degraded is not very clear, for in disposition and prowess it does not differ in any material respect from its congeners. It is a powerful bird on the wing, measuring 5 feet from tip to tip of the outstretched pinions, and yet it only weighs a little over a couple of pounds ; the female, however, is larger. The Kite may be distinguished from the other Hawks by its forked tail. In colour it is reddish-brown, darker on the upper than the under surface, and the top of the head has a bluish tinge. It builds its nest in trees, and lays three or four round eggs of a bluish-white ground colour, spotted somewhat sparsely with yellowish-brown, and in some cases not at all. The food is much the same as that of the other Hawks, but it also hunts for and eats earthworms, and will not disdain to make a meal of any dead carcase it may come across, for which reason in the old hawking times it was considered "ignoble," and on the principle "give a dog a bad name and hang him," it came to be connected with everything that was reprehensible and vile. 1 1 o BRITISH BIRDS Practically, the Kite is extinct in this country, where there is but very slender chance of its ever being do- mesticated again, for when one visits these inhospitable shores during the annual migration it is immediately "potted." The Merlin. A bird which is pretty well universally dispersed, and occurs in this country for the most part as an occasional winter visitor. It feeds almost entirely on birds, and will kill those that are double its own size as quickly as it will the smaller ones. In length the male Merlin measures about 12 inches and it weighs 5 or 6 ounces, while the female turns the scale .at 9 ounces and is 13 or 14 inches long. It is dark grey above, and reddish-fawn on the under surface with dark streaks on the breast, belly and thighs; the tail is dark blue-grey, with black tips and three bands or bars of black across it. The nest is made on the ground, as a rule, under some slight cover, and consists merely of a shallow depression in the soil, into which a few straws or heather sprays are scratched. The eggs are three or four in number, but sometimes only two; they are very round in form, of a reddish-brown, thickly marked with many small and a few larger spots of a darker shade of the same colour. The Peregrine Falcon. See page 104. The Sparrow-Hawk. This bird furnishes a notable proof of the mischievous consequences of interfering to destroy the balance of nature, for he too has been pretty well exterminated from our midst, and the Sparrows have multiplied in many places to such an extent as to have become a veritable nuisance. The Sparrow-Hawk is pretty and bold-looking, with an upright carriage and fearless, dauntless expression that commends it at once to notice, notwithstanding its small size and slender form; the male only weighing 5 or 6 ounces, and the female about 9 ounces ; she measures FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES, itt 15 inches in length, and he only 11 or 12 inches. In appearance, too, they are different, the female being brown and lacking to a great extent the "bloom'' that adds so much to the attractiveness of the male. The nest is built in high trees, and advantage is often taken of the deserted abode of a Carrion Crow or a Magpie ; the same place is resorted to season after season, the necessary repairs being made before the eggs are laid. These are bluish-white in colour and are much marked with reddish- brow^n. The young at first are covered with grey down, and the young females are easily differen- tiated by their, superior size, which is almost invariably the case with all kinds of birds of prey. Although such deadly enemies to all small birds, the latter sometimes combine to chase and heckle one of them; and although at other times active enough on the wing, the Sparrow-Hawk on such occasions contents himself with gliding aimlessly about for a time, and then darts swiftly away in a straight line, soon distancing his small but numerous and most persistent tormentors. The Sparrow-Hawk. 12 BRITISH BIRDS In addition to little birds, which form its usual and favourite diet, the Sparrow-Hawk will eat mice, beetles and grasshoppers; and occasionally in captivity, if food runs short, they will attack, kill and devour one another, the male, in such cases, usually succumbing to the assault of the female. This species has bred in confinement, but requires a full supply of its natural food, for which butcher's meat and even the offal from the poulterer's shop form no adequate substitute. It is rather a shy bird, especially when feeding, and usually retires to some secluded spot in order to devour at leisure the produce of its chase. The Stannel Hawk. See Kestrel. The Tiercel. The Tiercel, Tircelet, or Tassel. This is the male Falcon, which is much smaller, weaker, and less daring than the female; it was therefore not so much in request as the latter for purposes of sport. FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 113 THE HEDGE ACCENTOR. See Hedge Sparrow. THE HEDGE SPARROW, OR DUNNOCK. This bird, commonly but erroneously named Hedge Sparrow, is really the Hedge Accentor. It is soft-billed and has no connection whatever with our familiar friend the House Sparrow, except that it is a permanent resident in Britain. Its length is 5^ inches, 2\ inches of which are occupied by the tail. Its general colour is brown, and as every feather on the upper surface of the body has a dark centre, the back and wings have a mottled appearance ; the throat and breast are slate grey, but the belly is lighter. The female is altogether lighter in her colouring as well as somewhat smaller than her mate. Few people care to keep a bird that has neither beauty of plumage nor agreeable song to recommend it, but notwithstanding these drawbacks Accentors make desirable inmates of the aviary, where they nest and lay freely, if they do not always rear their young. Bechstein says that the female may be paired with the Redbreast, and that such unions usually succeed very well : if he meant as regards the production of hybrids, that is extremely doubtful. The nest is strongly and compactly built of moss, lined with hair, and is usually well concealed in a low bush, box and privet being often selected. The eggs are four or five in number, and are of the richest turquoise-blue imaginable. The young can be easily reared on bread and milk and ants' eggs, but individuals taken when full grown quickly reconcile themselves to the loss of their freedom and become very tame. Bechstein makes the startling announcement that the Accentor is subject to a complaint resembling small-pox, but this, like the Robin hybrids, is more than doubtful; they are, however, Hable to a kind of leprosy or skin disease, that begins at the root of the bill and extends over the whole of the head and neck, where the feathers fall out and are replaced by an unsightly scaly scurf, that 1 1 4 BRITISH BIRDS is a])paieinly wiiliout effect on the general health. It is certainly not worth while attempting to cure the patient, and any bird so affected had better be chloroformed at once. When wild this species lives on insects and seeds of all kinds, and in confinement is very partial to crushed hemp, from which it picks out the kernel, leaving the shell ; but it will swallow, and appears to digest, the same seed whole. The song is a trifling warble, but is continued throughout the year, and sounds pleasant enough when that of more pretentious musicians is stilled. The bird is very easily kept, and though somewhat sombre in appearance has a neat figure, and is extremely peaceable in the aviary. THE HEN-HARRIER. See under Harriers, THE HERON. Of late years the Heron has become very scarce in Britain. It stands at the head of a numerous series of genera and species, and being a fine upstanding bird, of graceful carriage and handsome plumage, offers too ready a mark for the "sportsman" on murderous thoughts intent. The wings expand to the width of 5 feet. The general colour is bluish-grey above and whiter underneath. The head is distinguished by a crest of long black feathers with a backward inclination ; and brown feathers, which are long and narrow, form a kind of ruff or frill on the breast; the long legs and the feet are of a greenish colour, and the tail and quills of the wings are blackish slate, or almost black in old specimens. A Heron does not attain its full adult plumage until it is two years old. The female resembles the male, but she is of a rather duller colour. The young have neither crest, nor frill, and are greyer than their parents. These birds, like the Rooks, nest in companies on the tops of ihe highest trees they can find, and the nests themselves, which are made of sticks, are of considerable size and visible from a Ions: distance. FOR CA GES AND A VIA RIES. 1 1 5 The food of the Heron consists of fish, frogs and molluscs, both aquatic and terrestrial. One of these birds has been known to empty an aquarium stocked with Gold- fish, and almost paid for his larceny with his liberty, for the gardener almost caught him before he could fly away, which he could only do after running with flapping wings for a distance of several yards. When kept in confinement the Heron is usually pinioned, but this should only be done when the birds are quite young and the bone is rather gristle than hardened into true osseous tissue. THE HERRING GULL See under Gulls. THE HOBBY. See under Hawks. THE HOODED CROW. See Crow (Carrion). THE HOODED MEW. See Gull (Black-headed). THE HOOPOE AND THE ROLLER. These are two very rare summer visitors from Asia and Northern Africa that would, doubtless, be much oftener seen were it not for the deplorable habit that prevails of shooting every one of them that makes its appearance in our midst, though very often after the murder has been perpetrated the carcass of the victim is thrown away, the shooter recoiling from the expense incidental to its preser- vation. The Hoopoe is so well depicted in the illustration that a full verbal description becomes unnecessary, and it will be sufficient to say that the prevailing colours of the plumage are fawn and black. The Roller is not, properly speaking, a British bird at ii6 BRITISH BIRDS. all, notwithstanding the fact that ]\Ioriis and some other writers so count liim in consequence of his occasional occurrence in our midst ; but be that as it may, he can Hooi'ok; scarcely be kept in an ordinary cage for more than a few weeks, or, at most, months. But he can be kept, and very successfully, too, if he is properly attended to and cared for, remembering that he FOR CA GES A ND A VIA RIES. 1 1 7 is a native of much warmer climes than ours and that his diet is wholly insectivorous ; therefore to keep him, or try to preserve him, at a low temperature on artificial food consisting for the greater part of vegetable matters which he is quite unable to digest, is to condemn him to a speedy but no less painful death, which, we hope, no amateur will in future attempt to do. The Roller is about 13 inches in length, of slender build, and richly clad in a plumage glittering with metallic tints that fairly dazzle the eye in the sunshine. The top of the head is of that shade of green known as verditer ; the neck, breast, belly, and some of the tail feathers are greenish-blue, and a band of the same colour crosses the middle of each wing; the shoulders, the rump, and the primaries are purple; the back and the secondaries and their coverts, rich chestnut-brown ; the central pair of tail feathers are dark green, the three next light green, and the outer pair white with black tips ; the bill and the feet and legs are orange- brown. Its beautiful plumage forms the chief attraction of the Roller, for its 'voice is harsh and it is particularly clamorous, resembling the Jay in this respect, "only more so ;" it has no pretension to song. The female resembles the male so closely that it is almost impossible to tell the difference between them, but perhaps the metallic gloss of her plumage is slightly less brilliant than his ; the young are much duller in colour than their parents and their legs are pale yellow instead of brown. One drawback to keeping the bird is its quarrelsome habits, for like the Robins it is impatient of other society, except during the breeding season, out of which time the male and female will fight as bitterly as will a couple of males or a couple of females, and both unite in persecuting the young as soon as the latter are able to cater for themselves ; and yet, singular to relate, they are partial to building in company. More adapted for the air than the ground, the Roller is a swift and strong flyer, but progresses awkwardly on the floor, consequently he should be placed in a large aviary, furnished, but not too thickly or so as to impede his flight, 1 1 8 BRITISH BIRDS with boughs, which should always, where practicable, take the place of the abominable regulation straight perch. The food, which should consist of beetles, cockroaches, mealworms, etc., must not be thrown on the ground, but placed in little cups among the branches, where the birds will take it readily enough, but will starve sooner than descend and pick it off the floor: ants' eggs and wasp-grubs are specially valuable in this case, and beetles, etc., should be killed by dropping into boiling water before being placed at the disposal of the Roller. As the species is indigenous to the northern parts 'of Africa and the Mediterranean islands, especially Malta, where it occurs in considerable numbers, it must not be exposed to a lower temperature than 60 degrees Fahr., or it will get congestion of the liver and speedily die. THE RED-LEGGED HORSEMAN. See Red- shank. THE IMBER. See Diver (Great Northern). THE JACKDAW. This bird may be called the Bantam of the Crow family, for he is only 12 or 13 inches in length. The feathers on his head are of a greyish colour, and he has the power of raising them into a kind of crest. The Jackdaw frequents towns, and often builds his nest on public buildings in company with the semi-wild Pigeons that frequent such places, and to which he is an unfriendly neighbour, for he often robs them of their young. He is not such a good linguist as the Raven, though he is more gifted in that respect than the Rook or the Crow, but he is as mischievous as any of them, and if allowed about at liberty, with or without clipped wings, care should be taken that nothing of glittering appearance be left in his way, for, if it is not too big, he will assuredly carry it off and hide it, and might thus. FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 119 unconsciously, be the means of getting someone into trouble. As everybody knows who has read Cowper, the Jackdaw also frequents church towers, and breeds there as well as among ruins, but he rarely builds a nest in trees, though instances are on record of his having taken possession of the deserted abode of a Rook or of a Carrion Crow. There is a very stupid notion abroad in some quarters, though happily, one hears much less of it than was the case a few years ago, that the Raven, Crow, Jackdaw, and Starling, as well as the Jay and Magpie, and some other birds, must have the tongue slit in order that they -may learn to repeat human speech. It is as astonishing how such an idea can have first arisen, as it is that it should have survived so long. If you ask the person who puts the question: "Why.?" you will get no answer, or at least be told that the querist has heard so, or that it is usually done, or some other equally inconsequent "reason"; but it is a mistake altogether. In the first place, it is horribly cruel to mutilate an unfortunate bird in such a manner, for the tongue is the most sensitive organ it possesses after the eye, and is used not only as one of taste, but as a tactile instrument of extreme sensiuveness and delicacy, and when it is injured, the bird may fairly be said to be deprived of one of the greatest pleasures of its existence. The Jackdaw. I20 r>Ri'risif lURDS Then, again, to cul the tongue actually decreases, instead of increasing, the bird's vocal powers, and the person who cuts it in order to make it talk more freely, positively lessens, if he does not entirely put a stop to, the chance that the bird will ever learn to speak at all. Fortunately, as we have said, the senseless and most cruel practice is dying out, and we hope ere long that it will be utterly forgotten, or only mentioned with a sense of shame and shrinking equal to that with which we hear of the old custom of roasting living Geese in order to im])rove the flavour, or of pounding Swallows alive in a mortar for the sake of imparting some mysterious vital property to the oil that was obtained from the birds. THE JACK SNIPE. See Snipe (Common). THE JAY. If anything, this bird is handsomer than the Magpie; his long silky feathers, crest, sub-ruddy breast and blue wing-patches giving him an air of aristocratic charm that is very attractive ; but, even more than the Magpie, he has incurred the displeasure of the "sportsman," and is yearly becoming of rarer and rarer occurrence in our woods and copses, which not long since he adorned by his presence ; and the reason is, he disturbs the game by his vociferations and gives them a chance to escape tlie gun of their would-be destroyer, for the Jay is the sentinel of the woods, and no marauding foe, be it weasel, fox, or "shooter," can escape his vigilance or the expression of his hate. The female jay is known by the grey colour of the upper part of tlie neck, which is vinous red in the male ; she also has a less conspicuous crest than he has, and is, perhaps, a trille smaller: she is also a poor hand at talking, but will become as tame and tricky as her mate. The Jay is popularly credited with subsisting wholly, or in part, on acorns, and it may be that in time of dearth he will satisfy his hunger on the "fruit" beloved of pigs FOR CAGES AND A VIARIES. 121 and, it is said, of our Ancient British predecessors; but when more succulent diet is to be had, the Jay turns to it, and devours raspberries, currants, strawberries and other summer fruits, nor does he neglect grapes and peaches or nectarines where he can find them, which is seldom in this land of ours. Of cherries he is fond, and the cherry- growers have exterminated him from the county of Kent as the sportsmen have in other places, so that before long he will certainly cease to be a British bird ; but the average gardener and farmer know no medium, and until the last of The Jay. their reputed enemies (but real friends) has bitten the dust, their thirst for vengeance will not be satisfied. The Jay breeds just when the May-bugs are about, and destroys millions of them ; but what does the horticulturist care } He sees the poor Jay taking a few cherries for dessert, and shuts his eyes to the substantial meal of cockchafers which the bird had just previously enjoyed. The nest of the Jay is placed among thick foliage, and would be difficult to find did not the over anxiety of the parents discover it. The young are easily reared and make delightful pets if fed and treated as advised for the young 122 BRITISH BIRDS of the ]\Iagpie. They require a very roomy cage, on account of the deHcate texture of their feathers, which are frayed and destroyed by the sHghtest friction. The writer is acquainted with a case in which a pair of tame Jays nested successfully in an aviary (see Frontispiece, from a photograph by Mr. W. Bush, F.C.S.); and that such naturally shy birds should have done so under such circumstances says much for their owner's management and treatment, while it also confirms the contention that every kind of bird can be perfectly tamed by man, and will be as happy (if not happier) in his custody, as in the enjoyment {I) of full liberty out of doors. It is in a great measure a matter of habit, or of use, but there can be no question that a full consciousness of security and peace must add to the happiness of any living creature, more than compensating for the loss of minor privileges, especially when the latter have never been personally known, as in the case of hand-reared birds which have never had the unrestricted freedom that belongs to others in their wild or natural condition. But such trifles as these are entirely overlooked by the benevolent but mistaken people who in the tamest and most confiding of cage birds can see nothing but poor, suffering " winged prisoners." THE JUDCOCK. See Snipe (Common). THE KESTREL. See unde?' Hawks. THE KINGFISHER. Though not adapted to cage-life, the Kingfisher will live and do well in a garden aviary some 20 feet or so in length through which a little stream can be made to flow ; if this expands into a shallow pool at one end of the enclosure, so much the better, and if it is stocked with fish (minnows, etc.) and water insects, and has a bank on one side, a pair of Kingfishers will do very well in it, and FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 123 need but little attention beyond keeping up their supply of food; but no more than one pair should be kept in the same place, and they will do better without other birdy company. In times of scarcity of fish, a little raw meat cut up small may be tried, and the birds will take to it in default of more suitable diet. As the excrement of the Kingfisher is very copious and white, it will be necessary to have frequent recourse to a garden hose to keep the place in presentable order. The female is duller in colour and a little smaller than the male, otherwise the sexes are very much alike. The eggs, five to seven in number, are white, and are laid in a hole, often three feet deep, in a bank; there is no nest properly so called, for the fish-bones found in the burrows of these birds are merely the "pellets'" or "cast- ings" that are brought up by every bird of prey, be it terrestrial or aquatic in its habits. Give the Kingfisher such a habitation as we have just described, and he will take a mate and rear a brood, and live happily; but confine him in a small cage where he has no room to fly about and dry himself when he comes out of the water, and he will be miserable and die of inflammation of the lungs, the result of a chill caught from sitting in his "wet clothes," or he will fall into a decline and succumb to consumption brought on by a succession of such chills and colds. Under such circumstances it is cruelty to keep him, or attempt to keep him rather; but where his habits are understood andjcatered for, it is not, and may soon be The Kingfisher. 124 BRITISH BIRDS the only way to preserve him from extermination in our island, where taxidermists and their minions are ever on the look-out for his beautiful skin. The young can be reared without much difficulty on fish. In Scotland the name Kingfisher is applied to the Dipper (which see). THE KITE. See under Hawks. THE KITTIWAKE. See under Gulls. THE KNOT. One of our winter visitors, and a handsomer one than the Dunlin, its general colour being bright chestnut-brown, ,i- '''^'^f^^\I^' >v.p. Knot. spotted with black and white on the upper surface, but plain on the lower. FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 125 THE LAND-LARK. See Plover (Ringed). THE LANDRAIL. See under Rails. THE LAPWING. See under Plovers. THE LARKS. The Calandra Lark. A very rare visitor to this country, this bird is longer than the Skylark, from which it is distinguished by a dark, almost black, collar round the neck. It should be treated like the Skylark. It is a southern bird and its song is much admired in Italy, where it is of common occurrence. The Land-Lark, or Sea-Lark. See Plover (Ringed). The Shore Lark. This is an American species that very rarely visits us, via Northern Europe, where it is met with more frequently than in this country. It is intermediate in size between the Skylark and Woodlark. The throat is yellow and there is a black horseshoe-shaped mark on the breast. It is partly arboreal in its habits, and requires to be treated like the other members of the family to which it belongs, as its natural diet consists partly of insects and partly of vegetable matters. The Skylark. This is such a well-known bird (especially during the winter-time in Leadenhall and other markets) that it seems almost superfluous to describe it, but as in at least one instance it has been confounded by a so-called authority 126 BRITISH BIRDS with the Wood Lark, it may not l)e quite out of place to say that it is 7 inches in length, of which the tail takes up 3 inches. It has a long, thin bill, that is incapable of shelling seed, which it swallows whole when it partakes of any ; but the diet of the Lark in its wild state consists for the most part of insects and the tender blades of growing grass and various sprouting plants. The female is distinguished by her smaller size, lighter- coloured plumage, less conspicuous crest, and more par- ticularly by the absence of the white line round the The SKYt.ARK. cheeks ; the black spots on the head and breast are more numerous, too, in her case than in that of the male. These birds do not perch, though they may sometimes be seen sitting on a broad rail, or a gate-post, or even on the flat top of a well-clipped quickset hedge, but their toes have no power to clasp a perch, and the hind one with its extremely long nail (technically "spur") is very inflexible. 'rhe nest is made of grass-stems on the ground among growing grass and corn, so that many of them are de- stroyed every year by the mowing-machines. The eggs FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 127 are four or five in number, of a whitish-grey colour, spotted and streaked with darker grey ; incubation lasts about a fortnight, and the young are easily reared by hand on bread and milk and ants' eggs. When able to feed them- selves the same diet may be continued and a little oatmeal be added, together with six or eight mealworms or cockroaches daily, and once or twice a week a little raw beef scraped. Some fanciers recommend Q^g, but unless perfectly fresh, new-laid in fact, this is apt to induce diarrhoea. A Lark's cage should be about 2 feet 6 inches or 3 feet long by 2 feet wide and about 15 inches high; if higher, the bird would be apt to rise and bump its head, for which reason the top is often made of canvas tightly stretched ; but this requires seeing to now and then, as such a construction affords harbour for insect pests. The Lark does not bathe, but rolls itself in dust, which it should always have an opportunity of doing in the house, and if lice or other insects are suspected to infest the bird, a handful of flowers of sulphur should be mixed in the dust-bath, and that will keep the Lark healthy and clean. The best green food for one of these birds is a sod of grass, and if this is kept moist by sprinkling it with water every day, the Lark will drink the drops and not require any other moisture, for in its wild state it does not resort to stream or pond for drinking purposes, but slakes its thirst with pearly drops of dew. A pair of Larks will sometimes breed in a garden aviary, but in such a situation they are apt to hurt themselves by dashing their heads against the roof if suddenly alarmed, say by a cat or passing Crow or Pigeon, and it is well to keep the primaries of one wing clipped ; this does not spoil their appearance and keeps them from injuring themselves. The use of the ordinary Lark-cage ought to be made penal. It is curious that a bird, the rank flesh of which a cat will not usually eat, but which, when pressed by hunger, she forces herself to swallow — to be violently sick a few minutes afterwards — should be esteemed a delicacy for the tables of epicures; but so it is, and the extermination of the species is, in consequence of the depraved taste for 128 BRITISH BIRDS it, within measurable distance, as may readily be understood when we read that 78,000 were despatched in one month from a single county to Leadenhall Market ! In connection with the foregoing sad fact, it was signi- ficant to notice that there were but four entries in the class for Larks at the last Exhibition of Canaries and Cage-birds, held at the Crystal Palace, and a reporter was justified in asking : "What has become of the Larks? Only four! Have all the rest been eaten?" Let us hope public opinion will be stirred to move in the matter, and send to Coventry the fashionable devourers of the only bird that "sings at Heaven's gate": the aviarists are guiltless in the matter, for their demands on the species are but as a drop to the ocean in comparison with the demands of the customers of the Leadenhall poultrymen. The Woodlark. About one-third smaller than the Skylark, to which it bears considerable resemblance ; but it has a less conspicuous crest, and the hind toe and nail are much shorter, so that it is able to perch, though, as a rule, it prefers not to do so. The sexes are very much alike in appearance, but the female is lighter in ground colour and more spotted than the male. She sometimes sings a httle. Coarse or sharp sand in the cage makes the feet sore, especially if the evacuations are allowed to accumulate : dry garden mould is better than sand, and care must be taken that it does not get wet. The Woodlark feeds, like the Skylark, on germinating seeds and on insects, and may be kept for ten or twelve years in the house if treated as recommended for its congener. THE LAUGHING GULL. See under Gulls. FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES, 129 THE LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. See under Gulls. THE LESSER GOD WIT. See Godwit (Black- tailed). THE LESSER REDPOLL. See under Linnets. THE LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. See under Woodpeckers. THE LESSER WHITETHROAT. .S^^^ under Whitethroats. THE LINNETS AND REDPOLLS. The Brown Linnet. See Common Linnet. The Common Linnet. Curiously enough, this bird has been, and still is, the subject of not a little misconception owing to the changes of colour to which the male is subject. In his wild state he has, when adult, a red forehead and a rosy-red breast, when he is termed the Red Linnet and the Greater Redpoll; these characteristics he loses in the house after his first moult there, and is then known as the Brown Linnet ; and when he is young, either indoors or out, he resembles his mother, and is consequently called the Grey Linnet, for while the back of the adult male is a fine chestnut- brown colour, that of the female is distinctly grey, and she is also much more spotted on the breast, which is greyish-white, while that of the house-moulted male has a buff or yellowish tinge. 30 BRITISH BIRDS Wherever there is furze (gorse) there the Linnet is to be found — or should be, for the trappers have exterminated him in some likely localities which he formerly used to frequent in large numbers. The nest is very compactly built of grass and roots, and is sparingly lined with hair ; as a rule it is placed in a clump of furze, and the eggs, which are usually five in number, are pale bluish-white, streaked and spotted with reddish-brown. Grass seeds are the favourite food of the Linnet, but in the autumn it [seems to be [as partial to those of the " .•':'. The Common Linnet. knot-weed {Polygonum repens) as the Sparrow itself; and in the house it is best fed on canary-seed with a little summer rape and some plantain, often called rats' tails in the country. It will breed freely with the Canary and other Finches, and is in much request for singing-contests, for which it is regularly trained, being kept in a wickedly small cage, covered over with a red handkerchief, as a rule, and ac- customed to trill forth its song at the word of command. A pair of hand-reared Linnets nest freely in a cage, and less so in an outdoor aviary, where some of the males FOR CA GES AND A VIA RTES. 1 3 1 will regain their rosy vesture, at least to a certain extent: from this it may be inferred that the loss of it is due less to food than to want of a proper amount of air and exercise, without which the bird soon falls into a decline, and as a correspondent recently complained, "develops exces- sive corpulency," meaning thereby that the poor creatures puffed their feathers out until they looked like balls of fluff, w^hile in reality they had wasted to mere skin and bone. But we are all so prone to judge by outward appearance only ! A Linnet has an exceedingly sweet natural note, which it trills forth from dawn to dusk pretty well all the year round in the house, where it will live for ten or twelve years, when correctly managed. The Common or Lesser Redpoll. This is a pretty little bird, that is a great favourite, especially with the poorer class of fanciers, who tame it and teach it to play a great many little tricks, among others that of drawing up its drinking-water with a thimble for a bucket from a teacup placed below its stand for a well. vSpecial stands are made for the purpose, sometimes of very elaborate design, and to these the Redpoll is chained, by means of a band of chamois-leather, technically a "brace", that is fastened round its body under the wings, the little chain hanging down between the bird's legs. It might be thought that such restraint would be very irksome to the Redpoll, but it does not seem to be so after the first day or so, as the little captive makes no attempt to escape even when anyone goes near him, but keeps on drawing water and opening his seed-box when he wants to eat or drink, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do; singing away in the intervals between his meals as if he had not a care, but was per- fectly happy and contented. And when it is added that a Redpoll so chained has been known to pair with a female of his ow^n species that flew freely about the room, it will probably be conceded that he had not much to com- plain about, as she made her nest close to him and he could hop on to the edge of it and peep at the little light 132 BRITISH BIRDS blue speckled eggs, when he had a mind to do so, as well as lend a helping hand— that is to say beak — to feed the two little ones that made their appearance in due course. Other Redpolls have nested and reared young ones in an ordinary Canary breeding-cage, and yet others would have done so in a garden aviary where they were kept with many other birds, had not some mice interfered and sucked the poor little couple's eggs as fast as they were laid in the cosy nest the hen had built in a euonymus bush growing against the wall of the enclosure. ^"5 ' The Common or Lesser Redpolt Grass and other seeds are the natural food of this species, but it also feeds on aphides and small flies when it can get them ; it does not, however, carry them to the young in its bill after the manner of a Sparrow, but swallows them first to regurgitate them afterw^ards with the other food when engaged in feeding the little ones. The aphis that infests the rose is an especial delicacy with the Redpoll, but let the aviarist beware of the purplish-black species that is found on the lilac, and more particularly on the laburnum, both of which are poisonous. The aphides, however, that are found in such abundance on the underside of the leaves of the black poplar and the linden or lime FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 133 tree, may be given, as they have no unwholesome property. These birds, however, will do very well without any addition of insects to their diet, eating canary-seed, spray millet, and summer-rape seed, which by the way is a small round reddish-brown seed, only about half the size of the black, acrid winter-rape that is sometimes sold for it by unscrupulous traders, or, possibly, ignorant ones. Green food is desirable, particularly if the little birds are breeding, and then groundsel, plantain, chenopodium and polygonum may be given, as well as grass seed of all kinds and a little middling coarse oatmeal. Needless to say grit is indispensable. It is curious that there should be any difference of opinion respecting the orthography of the bird's name, which is evidently derived from the colour of the head (old English, poll), but one or two writers spell it as if it had something to do with hops, or perhaps a barber's pole, which is very absurd. The Redpoll is a late breeder, as the nest has been found towards the end of July with recently-hatched young in it, and in confinement it does not begin to build before the middle of May. Mules have been produced between it and the Linnet, the Canary, Goldfinch and other Finches, but an assertion somewhat recently made, that hybrids had been obtained between it and a Bunting, scarcely needs contradicting, so opposed is the statement to well-ascertained facts. The nest is not as frequently met with in England as it is in the north of Scotland and in Ireland, but the birds breed here in suitable localities, and would doubtless do so more frequently were they not so often disturbed by the birdcatchers. It is a miniature Linnet, and like that bird, loses its bright colours in the house, the red cap persisting longer than the rosv vest. The Greater Redpoll. See Linnet (Common). The Green Linnet, See Greenfinch {iinder Finchesj. 1 3 4 BRITISH BIRDS The Grey Linnet. See Linnet (Common). The Lesser Redpoll. See Common Redpoll. The Mealy Redpoll. This is thought to be merely a local variety of the ordinary Redpoll, but it differs from the latter in being less frequently met with on the south side of the Tweed during the summer months, as well as in being somewhat larger. It is much paler in colour than the ordinary Redpoll and has a lighter coloured bill, while the red of its cap is of even a more fiery shade than that of the latter. It is a pretty creature and very docile, but not being so common as the other members of the Linnet group it has greater attractions for the "judges" at shows, where it mostly secures a prize when put in competition with them and the Siskin. It is fed and treated in the same way and is equally hardy when properly managed, but is even more impatient of artificial heat, which quickly destroys, first its liver and then its life. The Red Linnet. See Linnet (Common). The Red-rumped Linnet. See Twite. The Twite. This bird, sometimes called the Yellow-billed or Red- rumped Linnet, differs from the ordinary Linnet in many respects. In the first place it is smaller, being intermediate as regards size between it and the Redpoll ; then it has a yellow bill while that of its larger relation is dusky blue in summer and grey in winter ; and particularly it has no red on the head and breast, but some on the rump. The habitat of this species is in the north, and it only comes south in winter. The nest is compactly built and situated in a low bush; the eggs resemble those of the FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 135 Linnet, but are smaller, and like the latter bird, it will breed in confinement, either with a partner of its own kind or with another Finch, including the Canary. As it has no very distinguishing characteristics to recom- mend it to the notice of amateurs, this species is not very frequently kept in a cage. The Yellow-billed Linnet. See Twite. THE LITTLE CURLEW. See Whimbrel {under Curlews). THE LONG-TAILED TIT. See Introduction, page 8. THE MAGPIE. This is the beau of our woods, and a beauty he is, with his plumage of black and white (but such white and such black!) and his long tapering tail, which he is so fond of flirting up and down, and fanning out to display its indubitable charms. For all his good looks, he is a bandit and freebooter who Hves by his wits, preying for the most part on other birds, especially those that frequent the ground, so that one can scarcely wonder at his gradual extermination : and yet it seems a pity, for he certainly enlivens the landscape and contributes his quota to the concert of the woods. Solitary in summer, that is going about in single pairs, the Magpies gather themselves into little companies at other times, and are then fairly sociable ; but whether they band themselves together for mutual defence or for some other purpose is hard to determine. The nest, built of sticks, and domed with thorns, is often placed among the terminal branches of a tall slim 136 BRITISH BIRDS poplar, but occasionally on a flat branch overhanging water or a sudden descent in the ground, and even in a tall hedge when no more suitable position can be found. The eggs are four to six in number, greyish- white, thickly speckled with small spots of a darker shade than the ground colour. The young are fed on insects, young birds, eggs and fruit. Frogs often fall victims to the rapacity of the Magpie, and make a piteous outcry while they are carried aloft to the rob- ber's aerial den, but that does not avail them much for the Magpie has no pity for anything. A band of these birds once attacked a flock of tame Fantail Pigeons and killed most of them, for no other reason, that could be imagined, than jealousy of the'"spotless~purity of plumage and the innocent [if [somewhat self-assertive ways of the latter; but sometimes the freebooter meets his match and has the tables turned on him by the domestic cock, espe- cially when the latter happens to belong to one of the game breeds. Young JMagpies are easy to rear on the diet recom- TiiE Magpie. FOR CAGES AND A VJ ARIES. 137 mended for the upbringing of youthful Ravens, but will lose the use of their limbs if not kept very dry and clean, and also if they are allowed too much flesh-meat : an insect and fruit diet is better for them, and bread and milk will be found to answer as the staple food. Hand-reared, the Magpie makes a charming pet, capri- cious perhaps, but very nice tow^ards those he likes, and as full of fun as of mischief: he will talk, too, and better than manv a Parrot. THE MANX SHEARWATER. See Shearwater. THE MARSH HARRIER. See under Harriers. THE MARSH TIT. See under Tits. THE MARTINS. See Introduction, page 8. THE MEADOW PIPIT, See under Pipits. THE MEALY REDPOLL. See under Linnets. THE REDBREASTED MERGANSER. This is a remarkably handsome bird, somewhere about half the size of the Goosander. The head, which is ornamented with a nuchal crest, is black, as are the back. 1 3 8 BRITISH BIRDS the primaries and the tail ; the lesser wing coverts are white deeply edged with black; the remaining wing feathers are white lightly edged with black; the sides and rump are light slate finely spotted with black ; the lower half of the neck and the breast are brown with a number of narrow black spots. The eye and the bill are dull orange. It is a winter visitor, occurring rather in the northern than the southern parts of these Islands, but some remain to breed, especially in Scotland and the Scottish islands. THE MERLIN. See tinder Hawks. THE HOODED MEW. See Gull (Black-headed). THE MISSEL THRUSH. See under Thrushes. MONTAGU'S HARRIER. See under Harriers. THE MOOR BUZZARD. See Harrier (Marsh). THE MOORHEN. This is a member of the Rail Family. It is a native bird, generally dispersed in the vicinity of water, on the margins of which it finds its food. It is readily domesticated, and will voluntarily become tame where it is not interfered with, as in St. James's Park, where it breeds freely. The bill and forehead are orange, but the tip of the former is yellow; all the upper parts are black, and the lower grey. FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 139 gradually fading to white on the lower tail coverts : the legs and extremely long toes are green, the eye is orange, and there is a spot of the same colour just at the knee. THE MOUNTAIN FINCH. See Brambling {under Finches). THE NIGHTINGALE. Although not so common a bird as the Robin, the Nightingale is probably quite as well known, at least by repute; for a good many people have never seen the bird alive and do not know it by sight, although they may live within the sound of its beautiful song. It is shy, and keeps to retired woods and copses as a rule ; but sometimes it is known to frequent gardens, and has been seen in the grounds of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, and at Peckham Rye. It is a somewhat larger bird than the Robin, and stands higher on its legs, which are long and slender and of a greyish flesh-colour. The eye is very bright and full, and in its deportment the bird greatly resembles the Robin, hopping quickly forward, jerking up the tail, flapping the wings, and generally behaving much after the same manner. Bechstein, curiously enough, says it is smaller than the Redbreast, but those that come to Britain, and especially those that frequent the county of Kent, are decidedly longer. The colour of the upper surface of the body is brownish-red, deeper on the rump and the tail than on the back and wings, while the under parts are greyish-white. The female is rather lighter coloured than the male, but the chief point of difference is in the shade of the back and tail, which is a much deeper red in the case of the latter. The young are very unlike their parents, being brown in colour with small yellowish dots scattered all over the 40 BRITISH BIRDS body, which give them somewhat the appearance of a Wren, but the tail has a reddish shade, which serves to distinguish them from any other bird. The young females are rather larger in the nest, but there is very little to distinguish the sexes from each other. The Nightingale is found wild in most parts of Europe, but in England only in the south-eastern counties, while he is quite unknown in Scotland and Irelanth He frequents wooded places, and builds on or near the ground, usually M, ^ ^^^ l,^ TlIK NlGllTIN(i.\l. amid brambles, and not far from the trunk of a tree. The nest is large, made of leaves outwardly, then grass, and is neatly lined with grass and hair. The eggs are usually five in number and are of an olive-green colour, without spot or marking. As a rule, there is only one brood during the season, but if the birds are disturbed and their eggs or young are taken away before the latter have left the nest, a second brood will generally be produced. The old birds make a great noise, the female especially scolding vehemently, when the nest is approached, and its FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 141 situation is very often discovered through her over-anxiety to defend it. The young can be reared without the least difficuUy on ants' eggs (Romans' for preference) and small insects of all kinds. A pair of pliers with long narrow blades should be used for dropping the food into their widely- gaping, yellow mouths, and they require attending to about every ten minutes from dawn to dusk ; a mouthful or two at a time will content them then, but if they are fed at longer intervals and are given more food at a dme, they will be very apt to contract indigestion. The males begin to sing as soon as they can feed themselves, and until they do so, they are better kept in a small basket with a lid. When hand-reared they be- come exceedingly tame. IMany artificial foods are recom mended for the Nightingale, but nothing is so good for them as a diet consisting for the most part of ants' eggs, to which mealworms, blackbeetles, bacon-beetles and other insects are added. Soft food is apt to stick to the corners of the mouth and give rise to troublesome sores. In the autumn they eat elder-berries and those of the privet and ivy, and a little lettuce or tender cabbage may also then be given. If flying loose in a conservatory, the food should always be placed in a cage, so that the bird can be shut in when required. The floor of the cage may be covered with garden mould, previously dried, or sawdust, and the perches must be kept very clean, or the birds will soon have sore feet. The Nightingale is very fond of bathing, and should have a shallow pan or saucer of water placed for it on the floor every morning; but it should not be allowed to "tub" in the cage, which would thus be rendered damp and uncomfortable. A tame Nightingale will never know an hour's uneasi- ness if fed and treated as advised. But sometimes a fancier may buy one that has not been judiciously treated, and may find that it prefers the unwholesome messes to which it has become used, to the correct diet that he sup- plies it with. In that case he must not stop the former abruptly, but supply the new along with it, and if a few 1 4 2 BRITISH BIRDS shreds of raw lean meat are placed on lop of the ants' eggs, it will not be long before the bird will eat these, too; once he does, it is plain sailing afterwards. Should there be any sign of constipation, a teaspoonful of Dinneford's fluid magnesia should be given in two tablespoonfuls of water for drinking, and that will quickly relieve the sufferer. It is comparatively rare for a Nightingale, taken when full-grown, to live long in the house, but those that have been carefully reared from the nest and are properly fed and attended to afterwards, will survive in health and beauty for ten or twelve or even more years in confine- ment, which is, in all probability, a much longer span of life than they would have enjoyed in a state of freedom. The exquisite song of the Nightingale forms, no doubt, its chief attraction, but its tameness and familiarity must equally commend it to the notice of bird-lovers. True, it has not the intelligence of the Bullfinch, for instance, and is incapable of developing that affection for its custodian or patron that is such a marked characteristic of the latter bird, but it possesses the inferior quality known as "cupboard love" in a marked degree, and that very often does duty for the nobler sentiment, and affords an equal amount of satisfaction to the recipient. While it is distinctly understood that the Nightingale is unable to stand the cold of our winters, it would be an error in the opposite extreme to keep it too warm, and especially so in any place where there is not full and free ventilation, without draught. Great heat, particularly when combined with a stagnant atmosphere, will certainly have a most disastrous effect, inducing congestion of the liver, constipation, and fits, as well as premature moult, which has a most debilitating effect. Extremes of temperature must be avoided, for which reason no worse place could be found for the bird than a kitchen, where the heat is often very great during the day, and is followed by the opposite extreme of cold when the fire has been put out at night. For the same reason it is a very bad plan to cover the cage up closely, for that confines the air, which becomes not only exhausted FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 143 of oxygen, but also vitiated by the emanations drawn up by the heat from the floor of the cage, and the carbonic acid exhaled from the lungs of the bird itself ; at the same time, it is very desirable to provide the Nightingale with a curtain or screen over a portion of its dwelling, to the shelter of which it will invariably be found to retire for sleep when evening has set in, as well as when it feels inclined to take a nap during the daytime. This it often does after a full meal, particularly of mealworms— an excellent dish, but one that takes some digesting; for which reason blackbeetles are preferable, or gentles or bacon beetles, when the latter can be obtained, though it would be well worth the amateur's while to cultivate them for the benefit of his pets. THE NIGHTJAR. This is an impossible cage bird, but it has the curious habit of laying its two long narrow eggs on the bare ground, and has occasionally been mistaken for the Cuckoo, a circum- stance that has given rise to the fable that the latter bird occasionally incubates her own eggs. This bird is also very commonly called the Goat-sucker, and is much persecuted by rustics, and some folk who ought to know better, under the pretence that it robs the cows of their milk! THE NORFOLK PLOVER. See Thick-Knee. THE NUTCRACKER. Properly speaking, this is not a British bird, but a chance visitor to our shores at long intervals ; that is sufficient, however, to have secured him a place in Morris's great work. He is a fine bird, over a foot in length and fairly proportioned, of a blackish-brown colour, darker on the lower than on the upper parts of the body, and 144 BRITISH BIRDS speckled all over with white, like a Starling. His beak is decidedly corvine in shape, and yet he is strictly grani- vorous, a vegetarian Crow^ in fact, and lives on seeds of all kinds as well as nuts. The nest is placed in a hollow in a tree (another deviation from corvine habits), and the eggs, four to six in number, are dark greyish-olive with brown streaks. The young are reared on worms and insects as in the case of many other seed-eating birds. THE NUTHATCH. This is not a very common bird in Britain, nor a very suitable one for caging; however, if it can be taken young and brought up by hand from the nest, which is readily done on ants' eggs and small mealworms, it be- comes very tame, and is then sufficiently amusing; but it is practically impossible to reconcile to captivity one that has been caught when full grown. It is about 6| inches in length, i^ inches of which is included in the tail, while the strong pointed bill is nearly an inch long. The forehead is blue, and the rest of the upper part of the body bluish-grey; the cheeks and throat are w^hite, and a band of black extends from the eye to the back of the head on either side; the breast and belly are orange-brown. The female is greyer. The Nuthatch is a wood-loving bird, and its nest is placed in a hole in a tree, where four or five white eggs speckled with red are deposited, sometimes on the bare wood and, occasionally, with a little apology for a nest under them. The young are fed on insects, chiefly small caterpillars, which form the greater part of the food of the parents too, although in winter they eat seeds and berries, and evince much cleverness in extracting the ker- nels of nuts and beech-mast, w4iich they fix securely in a crack of the bark of a branch and then drill with their strong beak, turning round and round as they do so to add additional impetus to the blows they deal. If kept indoors, they must be fed as recommended for the Tits, but the cage they are put into should be entirely FOR CAGES AND A VIARIES. 45 of wire, as they would soon bore a wooden one into a congeries of holes and promptly regain their liberty. We cannot recommend amateurs to attempt the keeping of this bird, which never appears to get reconciled to con- finement, but persons living in the country can by judi- cious management succeed in taming it to a very large extent, by the easy expedient of placing suitable food on Nuthatches. a window-sill, or if the latter is too narrow on a tray fixed to it. This should be out of reach of cats, and be plentifully supplied with sunflower- and hemp-seed, suet, ants' eggs, and filberts or walnuts extracted from their shells. The Tits will flock to the seeds, and the Nuthatches, as well as maybe on odd Woodpecker, to the nuts, and after a litde while, when they find that no harm is meant to them, all the birds will get very tame and even allow their friend to stand quite close to the shut window, 146 BRITISH BIRDS without flying away. After a little more time has elapsed, they will not scuttle off when the casement is opened and the purveyor of their good things appears at it and puts a fresh supply of dainties on the board, and then they will venture into the room, and become as tame, confiding, and loving as it is in the nature of these birds to be. This is certainly preferable to putting them into a cage, where they knock themselves about and sadly mar their personal appearance, which is their great and indeed only attraction. The Nuthatch is one of the birds the present writer has never attempted to bring up by hand, nor can he recall an instance of anyone else having done so ; all the examples of the species he has seen in confinement having been captured when full grown in traps, mostly of the primitive brick pattern, baited with nuts. For one Nut- hatch that survives when thus caught, at least five die. THE ORTOLAN. See under Buntings. THE RING OUZEL. See under Thrushes. THE OWLS. The Barn Owl. This bird, which Mr. Morris facetiously terms *'a High Churchman," in allusion to its habit of frequenting church- towers, which it often shares with the Jackdaws, is also known as the White Owl from the light colour of its plumage : this is pale buff on the upper and white on the lower surface of the body. Occasionally it ventures out in the subdued light of a dull day, but is then invariably mobbed by the small birds and has to beat a hasty retreat. Its natural diet consists of FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 14' mice and other small rodents, and the tales circulated by gamekeepers and others that it is destructive to the sacred Partridge and birds of that class, are utterly devoid of foundation, the proof being that in those localities where it has been exterminated field mice have increased to an alarming extent. It also eats the larger beetles, especially the destructive insect known as the stag beetle : this, or rather its larva, does much harm to trees, in the heart of which it lives, moves and has its being for several years be- fore undergoing its final metamor- phosis. The cry of this Owl is a harsh prolongation of the sounds "tee- whit" (the i to be pronounced in the old English fashion and not ee, which is the German sound of the third vowel), which is so weird as to cause wholly unnecessary alarm, for the bird is not only quite harmless but extremely useful when confined to its native haunts. The Barn Owl. The Tawny Owl. This bird differs a good deal from the Barn Owl, not only in appearance but in habits. In feather it is darker, if in size about the same, but it nests on the ground, as often as not in the mouth of a rabbit-burrow, but some- 148 BRITISH BIRDS times with no better protection for its four white eggs than an overhanging clump of briars or gorse, and occasionally in the hollow trunk of a tree. The young can be reared on the flesh of small birds and rodents, if desired; but Owls are not nice birds to keep, seeing that they are nocturnal in their habits, sleep when their owners are awake, and wake up when the latter are or should be asleep. Some time since a correspondent wrote to ask what other food he could give to a tame Owl besides, or except, flesh, suggesting dog-biscuit, various seeds and bread and milk: he was doubtless surprised and probably disgusted when he got the answer that an Owl is carnivorous in its habits and lives entirely on animal matters; if he could not give it suitable food, he had better let it fly away. Did he ? Ah ! that is a question that has remained unanswered — probably he preferred the alternative of slowly starving the poor thing on unsuitable diet. The White Owl. See Barn Owl. THE OXEYE. See Tit (Great). THE OYSTER.CATCHER. See under Plovers. THE PARTRIDGES. The Common Brown Partridge. This bird is plentiful in most parts of the British Isles, where it is in much request for shooting at the proper season, but it can be readily tamed and makes a very nice pet. It pairs for life and the hen lays from eight to twelve or more eggs, which are of a greenish-brown FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES, 149 colour, but makes no nest properly so called: incubation lasts for three weeks, and the young run about as soon as they are out of the shell, at which time they feed entirely on insects, principally though on ants and their cocoons or "eggs". When adult they consume a good deal of grain and green food. It can be reared in confinement if the eggs are placed in charge of a Bantam, which is a better plan than hatch- ing them in an incubator, and the young can be reared on ants' eggs, crissel and hard boiled ^%% chopped fine, vegetables and seed being gradually added to the dietary. The Red-legged Partridge. This bird is an importation from the continent, and, like a good many other things coming to us from the same quarter, has become a nuisance in the localities where it is established, but it, too, can be tamed and is then very attractive. It is a decidedly handsome bird, very pugnacious, and poor eating; it has moreover displaced the Common Brown Partridge in some parts, and sportsmen are so irate with the quarrelsome and useless foreigner that many of them denounce it as "vermin" and would exterminate it from its new-found home if they could. But it is prolific, hardy and cunning and defies all efforts that have its extermination from its adopted country for object. THE PEEWIT. See Lapwing [iinder Plovers). THE PEREGRINE FALCON. See under Hawks. I50 BRITISH BIRDS THE PHEASANT FAMILY is a very comprehensive one, numbering among its mem- bers such diverse forms as the Quail, FrankoHns, Tragopans and the Guinea Fowl, none of which, however, with the exception of the first, are entitled to the distinction of being called British birds. For further information see Grouse (Black). The Common Pheasant. This is an introduced species, but is such an old inhabitant that it is usually reckoned to be one of our British birds. As it is known to every one and pretty well everywhere in this country its consideration need not detain us long. It is reared in great numbers for the pleasure of killing it afterwards, and its association with man has so demoralized the creature that it mates freely (being polygamous) with various more or less nearly related species, the offspring of the ill-assorted unions being barren hybrids. Both sexes err in this respect, though perhaps the male is the more frequent offender of the two. THE PIED FLYCATCHER. See wider Flycatchers. THE PIED WAGTAIL. See under Wagtails. THE PIGEONS. See under Doves. THE PINE GROSBEAK. See under Finches. FOR CAGES AND A VIARIES. 15 THE PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. See under Geese. THE PINTAIL. See under Ducks. THE PIPITS. This is a numerous family, that seems to form a con- necting link between the Larks and the Wagtails, as they certainly partake of the characteristics of both. In addition to the Meadow and Tree Pipits, Richard's Pipit, the Tawny Pipit, the Water-Pipit, the Red-throated Pipit, and the Rock Pipit, are to be met with more or less frequently in this country. The first and last named are more Lark-like in appearance than some of the rest, and bear such a strong resemblance to each other, that it requires a somewhat experienced eye to discriminate between them. Notwithstanding the formation of their feet, all the Pipits are able to perch, and most of them sleep in that position, though the Meadow Pipit not unfrequently passes the night on the ground, on which they all nearly always nest, usually under the cover of a stone or even a clump of coarse grass. The writer is not acquainted with an instance of any of them having bred in confinement, though if comfortably situated, there seems no reason why they should not do so, as well as their near relations the Wagtails and the Larks; but as the Wagtails succeed better in an outdoor aviary than indoors, in all probability the Pipits would do so too. They have, however, very little to recommend them to the notice of amateurs. The Red-throated Pipit. The Red-throated Pipit has puzzled more than one naturalist to place it, for it resembles the Lark more closely than any of its congeners. As its name indicates, I 5 2 BRITISH BIRDS the chin, throat and upper breast are lawny-red, and the bill and eye-streak are of the same colour; the lower breast, abdomen and vent are buff ; there are but very few spots on the breast, but on the sides of the neck they are more abundant, and are continued on the sides to the insertion of the thighs. The legs and feet are yellowish-brown, and the hind claw is of conspicuous length. The Rock and Richard's Pipits. The Rock Pipit is darker in colour than the one that bears the specific name of Richard : the latter is bluish- grey on the chin, and the thighs and lower abdomen are darker than in the other. The Rock Pipit is a dark greenish- brown shade all over, with a few indistinct spots on the breast, while Richard's breast marks are as conspicuous as those of a Lark. Both of the foregoing have a long hind- claw or nail, which gives them a Lark-like look that is unmistakable. The Tawny Pipit. The Tawny Pipit has more of a yellowy-buff tinge on the breast, belly and edges of the secondaries and greater coverts ; it is also distinguished by a yellowish-white throat and eye-streak. The Water-Pipit. The Water-Pipit is more like a Wagtail than the Rock, Richard's, and Tawny Pipits : it is grey on the upper surface, with brown tail and wings, the edges of the feathers on the latter being of a brownish-buff colour; the breast is light buff; the chin, eye-streak, and belly are greyish-white; the thighs and vent light bluish-grey; the legs dark slate colour, and the hinder nail of moderate length only. FOR CAGES AND AVIARIES. 153 THE PLOVERS. The Dotterel. This is a much handsomer bird than the Ringed Plover, but is somewhat difficult to describe: the head is dark grey, with a streak of bright yellow running down from the eye to the neck; the throat is white with minute spots of dark grey; the breast is darker grey with a still darker lacing, then succeeds a narrow band of pure white, followed by a broad ruddy patch and that by a black one, while the rest of the lower parts are pale buff; the back is greyish brown, the wings are brown of a darker shade, marbled with lighter shadings of the same colour, and the tail is yellowish grey with lighter margins to each feather. It is only a passing visitor with us on its way to breed in the far north. Habits and food, same as those of the other Plovers. The Golden Plover. This is a handsome creature, with jet black face, throat, breast, belly and thighs, whitish grey sides marked with dark grey spots; brown back, with black centres to the ^t^'^J^k^j^-"-*- Golden Plovers. feathers, and greenish yellow wings, the bill is dark horn colour, and the legs also black centred ; and feet yellowish- 154 BRITISH BIRDS grey. Its food consists for the most part of insects, but also of berries and other vegetable matters. Yellow Plover and Green Plover are other names for this species. The eggs are usually four in number, and large for the bird that lays them ; the ground colour is yellowish-grey and they are spotted variously with brown and black. The young run directly they are out of the shell, and when feathered are darker than their parents, their under parts being curiously marbled with yellow, white and black. The Great Plover. See Thick-Knee. The Green Plover. See Golden Plover. The Grey Plover. This bird is much like the Golden Plover, except that its only colours are black below and light bluish grey above, the latter thickly mottled with black. In its habits and choice of food it resembles the Golden Plover. The Lapwing. This bird is sometimes called the Peewit from its peculiar cry. It is perhaps the best known of all the Plovers and is a conspicuously handsome creature, whose long nuchal crest of dark green feathers adds materially to its attrac- tiveness. A white streak surmounts the eye, the neck is white and so are the under parts, but the rest of the body, including the lower half of the tail, is dark green glittering with metaUic lustre : the upper half of the tail is white, and the vent feathers buff ; the bill is black, and the iris grey. The female has a smaller crest, but otherwise resembles the male. It is well-known by its curious habit (more or less followed by all the Plovers) of feigning lameness in order to draw away intruders from the vicinity of the nest. The eggs, which are usually four in number, are in great request for the table, and the quest is so keen that FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 155 the numbers of this handsome and eminently useful species, as well as its congeners, have sensibly diminished of late years. The young run about as soon as hatched, '*%^ e^ LAI'WINGS. and feed on small worms, snails, slugs and insects of all kinds. They are very easy to rear by feeding them, as nearly as possible, on the diet natural for them, when they become extremely tame and make very interesting pets. The Norfolk Plover. See Thick-Knee. The Oyster-catcher, or Sea-pie. This is a black and white bird about i^ feet in length, with orange-yellow bill and greenish-yellow legs and feet, and weighing 16 or 17 ounces. It is of wandering rather than migratory habits, collecting in small flocks during 156 BRITISH BIRDS the winter season but nearly always on the coast. The eggs are four in number as is usual with the Plovers, and yellowish or buff-white spotted with black, brown and grey. The young can run about very actively soon after they are hatched, and can be reared without much difficulty on their natural diet, marine insects, small Crustacea, Oyster-Catchers. molluscs and fish. If pursued they hide their heads after the manner of the Ostrich. The nest is generally placed among stones above high water mark, but sometimes on grass. Male and female are alike. They moult twice a year, spring and autumn. The Plover's Page. See Dunlin [tinder Sandpipers). The Ringed Plover, or Ringed Dotterel. Also called the Land-Lark, Sea-Lark, Dull Willy and other local names. In the northern parts of the British Isles it is a resident species, but a winter visitor only in the south. FOR CAGES AND A VIARTES. 157 The eggs, four in number, are laid on the ground, among water-worn stones, from which it is difficult to distinguish them; the young, too, are covered with mottled down that closely mimics the surroundings of the helpless little creatures. The habits and mode of feeding are the same with this species as with the other Plovers already noticed. The Turnstone. Not unlike the Oyster-Catcher, but has a brown back, a black bill and dark orange-brown legs and feet. It is a coast bird and derives its name from its habit of turning over stones on the beach in search of the insects that congregate in their shelter. It is a winter visitor, departing from March to the end of April, and arriving in August or September. They very rarely stay to breed here. The Turnstone is= a very cautious and wary as well as a