<%,<%><-^<^<^g # LIBRARY OF CONGRESS J # ic^J^i±4 I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ^ '^^^<^^<^<»,<^^<^'p^ '^^ (>:^.(^^M^ HOLDEN'S BOOK ON BIRDS. BY CHARLES F. HOLDEN. " Little dewdrops of celestial melody." — Carlylb. -r\0' NEW-YORK BIRD -STORE, PUBLISHERS, 9 BowDoiN Square, Boston. MDCCCLXXV. 3 ^4t) Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 18/5, By CHARLES F. HOLDEN, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Boston : Rand, Avery, & Co., Stereotvpers and Printers. PREFACE. The work herewith presented is the offspring of my former editions, with such additions as my con- tinued business as a bird-dealer has suggested. The previous editions have been carefully revised, and additions made of thirty-two pages of reading matter, and a like number of illustrations. A few poems have been selected expressive of the beauties of birds, and the pleasures which they give us ; and I trust they will find as many admirers as have their authors. In these poems is expressed a beautiful delicacy of thought, for which my pen is hardly gifted. Thanks for valuable information and assistance are due to Miss Mary Helen Boodey of Laconia, N.H., Mr. W. W. Caldwell, Mr. George B. Pear- son, my brother Mr. George H. Holden, and many others. The book in its new form, I hope, will retain all of its former friends, and that thousands of new ones may be added. C. F. H. January, 1875. 3 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Frontispiece The Author Aviary loo Australian Paroquet 73 Bobolink 88 Brazilian Cardinal 77 Blackbird 59 Black-Cap 50 Bulfinch 43 Canary .... ... ..... .g Chaffinch 40 Goldfinch • 32 Grosbeak, Rose-breasted 86 Indigo-Bird <- . . . 98 Java Sparrow . . . . • 7S Linnet, Gray , 37 " Red .92 Mocking-Bird 81 Nightingale 46 Nonpareil • 95 Parrot, Gray 63 Robin, American 99 " English 61 Sky-Lark 53 Siskin f ........... 39 Sparrow, English , , 64 ^ " Song 97 btarling •?•.,,,, .... . . 63 Troopial, South American , , 75 Thrush, Song , , . , 57 Virginia Nightingale . , , , 90 Wood-Lark 55 Yellow-Bird 94 iv CONTENTS. PAGE PAGE Preface .... 3 Diarrhoea . . . . . 13 Contents .... 5 Advice to Purchasers ii6 Egg-bound. 26 Adams' Express III Egg Paste .... 12 Ants' Eggs 82 Eggs, Birds eat them 28 Asthma .... 13 Epilepsy . . . '. 14 Appetite, loss of 19 Express, Safety of . . . 1 10 AustraHan Paroquet . 73 For treatment, see Parrot 68 Feathers off Head . 18 Aviary 100 Female Canary will mate with 25 Finches for Aviary lOI Best Singers . . . . ri8 Avadavat 101 Bird Cages . . . . 119 Banded Finch 103 " Lice 19 Bishop Finch . 106 « Lime 121 Cordon Blue Finch 101 Birds are hatched 27 Cut-throat Finch . 104 " bathe whilst mated . 20 Cuba Findi . 103 '■ brought up by hand . 29 Diamond Sparrow Fiijch 104 " bristle up . 10 Fire Finch X03 '■ desert their Young . 29 Indian Silver-bill Finch. 102 " Limbs broken . 16 Magpie Finch 104 " will not bathe . 20 Negro Fincli . 103 Blackbird .... 59 Nun Finch 104 Black-Cap .... SO Paradise Whydah-Bird . 105 Bobolink .... 88 Quaker Finch . 102 Brazilian Cardinal 77 Red-tail Finch 102 Breeding Cages . 23 Rockhampton Finch 102 Bulfinch .... 43 Saffron Finch . 103 Spotted-sided Finch 104 Canary .... 9 Spice-Bird . 102 Cage, one suitable 120 St. Helena Finch . . lOI Cause of Disease 12 Wax-bill. . 101 Chaffinch .... 40 Food for Birds . . 28 Claws require cutting 18 Cleansing Brass Cages 122 Goldfinch .... 32 Colds 12 '• Diseases . 34 Costiveness 14 " Mules • 34 Crowlev. David . . rii Gravel Paper, Singer's . 120 Cuttle-fish .... • 19 Grosbeak, Rose-breast 86 VI CONTENTS. PACE r.\r.B Handsome Thirds, how raised 26 Parrot, Diarrhcea . . 70 Haitz Mountains 22 '' Sore I' eet 71 Hatching Birds . 27 " Lice and Fits 71 Hard Breathing, 13 Paradise Whydah-bir d . .105 How to mate Birds . . 25 Patience in Training . 112 Postage on Seed no Indigo-Bird 98 Poor Luck with Birds 30 Insect Powder . ig Insects for Soft-bill Birds . 82 Raising Birds . 23 Remedial Agents 21 Java Sparrow . 78 Robin, American 99 " English . . 6i Lark, Sky .... 53 Rupture 15 " Wood . • 55 Ladies' Dress . . 118 Saffron 20 Linnet, Gray 37 Scales on Limbs • -I/ " Red 92 Sexual Desire . 24 " Mules . 38 Selecting Birds . . ii6 Lice on Birds . ^^9 Seed for Birds . . 108 Loss of Voice . 13 " Sicily Canary . 108 " German Rape . 108 Males and Females, how raised 25 ' Hemp . 108 Mating Birds 25 " Millet . no '• Fever 24 '* Maw, or Poppy . J09 Meal-Worms, how bred . 83 '• Paddy . 109 Mocking-Bird . 81 " Cracked Corn . no Food . . 82 '^ Cracked Wheat . no Lice . 84 Siskin • -39 Moulting, A Young Bird shoulc I 30 Singer's Gravel Pape r . . 120 " when a Ijird should 16 " Smothenng " Birds . 121 "My Bird is Sick" . 12 Sneezing 15 Song Sparrow . • 97 Nightingale 46 Song most admired 22 Nonpareil .... • 95 Sore Feet . 17 Sparrow, English . . 64 Poems Java . 79 Beautiful Birds 31 Starling • 63 Birds of Kilhngworth . 42 Sweating . . 16 Black-Cap 50 Swollen and Sore Lin lbs . . 17 Blackbird «... 59 Bobolink . ... 88 Taming Birds . . 112 Canary .... 10 Teaching Birds . 1 12 Chorus of Heaven . 35 Temperature for Bird s . . 12 Goldfinch • 32 Tobacco Smoke . . 122 Gray Parrot . . 68 Trapping Birds . 121 Linnet .... 37 Training Birds . . 112 Mocking-Bird So Trap Cage . . 121 Niehtinsiale . 46 Troopial, South Ame rican . 75 Old-World Sparrow 64 Thrush, Song • 57 Robin Redbreast . 61 Song of Birds 7 Virginia Nightingale . 90 Tune his Merry Note . 52 Thrush .... 57 Wood-Lark • 55 Under the Greenwood Tree 52 Wrapping up Birds . 122 Valentine's Day 24 Parrot, Gray or Green 68 Yellow-birds . 94 " Yellow-head . 68 Yellow Gall 15 '■ Suitable Food 69 Young Birds . 28 " Pulling out Feathers 69 Your Bird Store . 117 THE SONG OF BIRDS. BY W. W. CALDWELL. When spring returns in bud and flower, And south winds breathe o'er hill and plain, And winter's cold hath lost its power; Then longings come to hear again From field and grove the blackbird's call, The sparrow's chirp, and, over all, The bobolink's exultant strain. When summer blushes in the rose, And woodland odors fill the air, And all the grassy wayside glows With golden light and blossoms fair ; In welcome shade I love to rest, While near me, o'er his hidden nest, The linnet trills, and lulls my care : Or wake at early dawn, when now Faint flushes up the orient play, And hear from every leafy bough Glad choirs their adoration pay ; Or, when the twilight purples die. Thrill to the robin's plaintive cry. His farewell to departing day. THE SONG OF BIRDS. And still, when winter spreads around The chilly covering of the snow, And woods in dreary silence bound No more with sounds of joy o'erflow, Beside my hearth I sit, and hear The same sweet music ringing clear. And summer-time within I know. For look ! where at the window swings Yon blithe canary, full of glee ; And answers to my call, and sings All day his varied melody, So that I seem to hear again The skylark's song across the main, Or nightingale in Thessaly. Newburyport, Jan. 14, 1875. THE CANARY. The sweetest music of nature is the singing of those little angels of the trees, the birds. It glad- dens the heart to hear their " wood-notes wild " ringing through those great cathedrals, the woods, whose tall green pillars are reared by the wonder- working hand of God. Their song seems to make lO . THE CANARY. the sunshine brighter ; and we have often fancied we could see the golden rays darting and flashing, and keeping time to their warblings. ■ No doubt, when Eve wandered through pden, and Adam wove her a bower of blushing roses, that the birds sang the self-same tune which they do now, and that the angels often listened when they "walked in the garden in the cool of day." In all ages, in all countries, as far back as we have any record of time, the singing of birds has given delight to mankind ; and they must many a time have gladdened the hearts of Noah and his family, when he sailed over the wild waste of waters in his ark ; and the children that were with him would listen, and recall the green nestling places then deep down beneath the waves, where the sweet- voiced birds built and sang. The wildwood hath its mhistrels sweet, That fill the forest-aisles with joy ; And oft we seek their loved retreat, To listen to the singers coy. But not to woods need we repair To hear the sweet canary's song : He trills his clear and varied air In quiet homes or city throng. He loves our kindness and our praise, And gladly cheers our darkest days. Maiy Helen Boodey. Europeans have never known, to a certainty, the exact date of introduction of this charming warbler. THE CANARY. II Aldrovandus describes the bird in his Ornithology, which bears date 1610. Many authors assert that the island of Elba was the first European ground on which a canary found resting-place, having flown thither from a ship bound to Leghorn, which foundered near the island. These sweet songsters, thus set at liberty by accident, found a congenial clime, remained, and bred ; and doubt- less would have continued to do so, had not bird- trappers hunted them so assiduously, that not a single specimen was left on the island. From Italy the birds were transported to France and Germany ; and from the latter place the whole habitable globe is supplied. So we might with truth say, that, among the musicians who come to our shores to charm us with their notes, the largest orchestra is that of the singing-birds. They require very little of our money, and never demand an opera- house as the only theatre worthy their performance. A few dollars will buy one of these sweet singers, and a few more will build or buy an opera-house for his performances. He charges nothing for his sing- ing, and is not fastidious as to his accommodations, carolling just as sweetly in the attic of the tired sewing-woman as in the boudoir of the fashionable lady. He becomes a friend to the lonely, and a comforter to such as are in trouble. From his cage, as well as from the wildwood, he sings of the love and care of Him without whose knowledge not one of the feathered tribe can fall to the ground. Like flowers, birds are a beautiful gift to a friend, with this 12 THE CAUSE OF MOST DISEASE. advantage, — they live longer, and, by their con- stant voice, recall to mind the giver. The very general desire of the public to know how to take the best possible care of their pets, and the wish of the whole bird-trade for a treatise that could be implicitly relied upon, free from all the scientific attainments so freely shown in large works, and at a popular price, has led the author to publish what has been his own experience through a number of years. First, we will commence with sick birds and their treatment. " My bird is sick : what shall I do for it ? " this question is asked at the bird-stores times without number, daily ; and it is just as easy an- swered without knowing what ails the bird, as it is for a physician to prescribe accurately for a disease when simply informed that a member of the family is sick, "and please send up some medicine at once." The Cause of most Disease is colds, which are occasioned by either hanging a bird in a draught of air, near a loose-fitting window, or keeping him in a very hot room (sixty degrees is the proper tempera- ture for a bird) through the day, and then in a cool one at night, — a variation of perhaps forty degrees in twenty-four hours. This cold, if not cured at once, leads to asthma, and from that to a disease known as the gapes. The best cure for the cold is to feed, in addition to their regular seed, rape and canary, and perhaps millet, a paste made from a hard-boiled Qgg and one pulverized cracker, thoroughly mixed together, using no water in mixing, LOSS OF VOICE. 13 the egg supplying sufficient moisture. Sometimes a bird seems hoarse, and apparently has Lost his Voice. — This is occasioned by over- singing : a little pure rock-candy, not flavored, dis- solved in the drinking-water, and a quantity of red pepper put into the paste described above, will usually effect a cure. If, however, the cold is allowed to remain for several days without any attention or cure, it will pass rapidly from cold to asthma, and from that to gapes, which is best described by saying that the bird looks like a little puff-ball, with a con- stant panting, and his bill almost constantly opening and shutting, as if to catch breath. His food should be the same as described above. Many bird-fanciers have given small pieces of salt-pork (cut about the size of seed) with a quantity of red pepper thereon, with beneficial effect ; also keep the bird warm, and give, with his rape and canary, ripe plantain if it can be had. Every morning he should have a small tea- spoonful of warm bread and milk, and now and then a little bit of sponge-cake soaked in sherry wine. Asthma, or Hard Breathing, when arising from an oppressed stomach, generally yields to plantain and rape-seed, moistened with water, as the sole food. Birds troubled with a Diarrhoea can be greatly relieved by placing a rusty nail in their drinking-water. Another excellent remedy will be found in common chalk ; let a small piece be placed between the wires ; it is also well to scrape some quite fine, and scatter it with the sand on the bottom 14 A BIRD BRISTLES UP. of the cage. Should a bird be troubled with the reverse of this complaint, — CosTiVENESS, — a piece of sweet apple, a little chickweed, lettuce, or any green food, will usually afford full relief. Most ailments of birds commence with a cold ; and the old adage of the " ounce of prevention," &c., is peculiarly applicable to the bird family. Oftentimes A Bird bristles up, sits moping upon the perch, with his head under his wing, and looks like a puif- ball. If this is occasioned by the bird having diar- rhoea, give the remedies as directed. Should it be occasioned by costiveness, see article above. Occasionally a bird will act in this manner when he has neither of these complaints. Should this be the case, examine first his food, and see if he has been properly fed. Many times it will be found that it is wholly occasioned by neglect in not feeding the bird, and sometimes by not supplying sufficient water for the bird to drink. If, however, it should prove that the bird has plenty of food, and is per- fectly regular, then make a change in his food, taking away the seed, and feeding the soft food as recommended for birds with colds, and perhaps a small piece of sweet apple. Occasionally a canary is troubled with Epilepsy. — A sure cure for this has never been discovered. The author ha's taken a bulfinch, and other birds affected, and cut the hind-claws just sufficient to draw the blood, holding the foot in warm (not hot) water until the blood ceased to flow ; then SNEEZING AND SWEATING. I5 a slight sprinkling — with the hand — with cold water : then feeding only on rape-seed which had been previously soaked in water, and a liberal supply of apple and green stuff, as recommended above, has generally effected a cure. Rupture. — A kind of indigestion causes inflam- mation of the intestines, to which young birds are more especially subject. The symptoms are a swelling of the body, which, on blowing up the feathers, looks semi-transparent, and fuU^of red veins ; at the lower part are black turgid lumps, as though the intestines had fallen there in a knotted state. The cause of this is generally an over-abundance of nutrition^ or bad or stale food-or water; the remedy, if any there be, a spare diet, with a little alum or salt in the drink ; groats and oatmeal are good in this case ; if the bowels should be much relaxed, give bruised hemp and maw seed, with a little stale sponge-cake soaked in sherry wine. Sometimes the feathers of the bird come off : then rub the bare parts with fresh lard, or oil of almonds. Yellow Gall makes its appearance about the head and eyes ; sometimes there is a small ulcer the size of a hemp-seed. This must be carefully cut off with a sharp penknife, and the place anointed with fresh butter, or washed with urine ; the bird should have fresh nourishing food. Sneezing, often caused by an obstruction of the nostrils, may be cured by passing a very fine feather through them ; sometimes it is the result of a cold. Good food, and careful exclusion from draughts, are the remedies in this case. l6 WHEN A BIRD SHOULD MOULT. Sweating. — A female canary will at times con- fine herself too closely to the nest, and thus generate a superabundance of heat which often destroys the brood. Wash her in a good strong solution of salt, and after a few minutes with fresh water ; dry her as rapidly as possible in the sun. Do this once or twice a day, and sprinkle a little sherry wine over her plumage. Supply her with plenty of good food to tempt her off the nest ; she is most likely a weakly bird, and injures herself by sitting too close. A sweating female is not fit for a breeder, so never use her for this purpose twice. A question often asked is, — "When SHOULD a Bird moult?" — Most birds shed their feathers in the months of September and October ; and, though it is perfectly natural for them so to do, still the operation is accompanied with a slight disease. They should be fed on the soft paste before described ; and, as they are not well covered with feathers, great care should be taken to keep them in a comfortably warm place out of all draughts of air. With these precautions a bird will fully moult in from four to six weeks. Should a bird not shed his wing and tail feathers readily, it is well to pull them out, — pulling, however, only one at a time. Broken Limbs are best left to themselves. Human contrivances, where so fragile a tiring as a bird's leg or wing is concerned, are generally more mischievous than useful: Nature will, if possible. SWOLLEN LIMBS AND SORE FEET. 1 7 perform the cure. Place the little sufferer carefully and tenderly in a small cage, without perches, upon some soft hay; let the seed and water be within reach, muffle up the cage with flannel or baize, keep every .thing as quiet as possible, so that the bird may not be excited to move ; the chances are, that, in a few days, all will be right again. Occasionally a bird's limbs will be covered with scales, particularly an old bird's. The best way to remove them is to moisten the limb with quite warm milk j and a slight rubbing with the thumb and fore- finger back and forth will cause them to peel off. Care should be taken, however, not to break the under-skin. Swollen and Sore Limbs are greatly relieved, and oftentimes a permanent cure effected, by bath- ing the affected parts with diluted tincture of arnica. Sore Feet. — This disease is usually occasioned by using a very small perch, and also by not using sufficient gravel for the bird to keep his feet clean. The perches for a canary, or other bird of similar size, should never be less than seven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, and even larger ; and for a mock- ing-bird, and all birds of his size, perches of five- eighths to three-quarters of an inch in diameter are far preferable. With such perches, and plenty of gravel, a bird will seldom have sore feet. Should he, however, be so troubled, the best remedy is to wash the feet in a gill of warm water to which has been added ten drops of tincture of arnica. 1 8 LONG CLAWS AND LOSS OF FEATHERS. It often happens that a Bird's Claws grow very long, and require cutting. This is a particular operation ; and care should be taken not to cut up into the blood-veins, which can be easily seen by holding the bird's claw in front of a strong light, and then not cutting with- in at least a sixteenth of an inch of the red vein. Why does my Bird lose the Feathers around HIS Bill, and his head become bare ? There are two reasons for this. First, many birds seem afflicted with an eruption, or skin-disease, which causes the feathers to drop out. Such birds should be fed principally upon rape-seed, and occasionally a small piece of raw carrot, of which most birds are very fond ; and, if a little olive-oil is at times put on the bare spot, the feathers will commence to grow more readily. Secondly, many birds are of a nervous and irritable disposition, never remaining in one position for a single instant, but are continually hopping to and fro against the wires of their cages, as if trying to get out, which is really the case ; and, by coming constantly in contact with the hard substance, they ruin their plumage. Such a bird should be hung quite low, or, better still, placed on a table where he can be occasionally talked to, and noticed : then he will soon become accustomed to his home. When partially quieted, bathe the bare parts with water into which has been placed ten drops of the tincture of arnica : after the soreness (if any there has been) disappears, use a little olive- oil, as before mentioned. BIRD-LICE AND LOSS OF APPETITE. IQ One source of great annoyance to a bird, and also to his owner, is the Little Red Bird-Lice. — We now put up a powder harmless to birds, which is applied directly to the bird, and effectually rids him of these annoy- ing pests. It is put up in envelopes, and will be sent to any address by mail, prepaid, on receipt of twenty-five cents. Lost his Appetite. — At such times it is well to give a very little hemp, and all the millet-seed a bird will eat ; and, if convenient, change the loca- tion of his cage to a more cheerful place. These comprise about all the diseases that the canary is subject to ; and we will here state, that all of the family of seed-eating birds have about the same ailments, and require similar treatment. CuTTLE-FiSH. — There is an impression, quite general, that the only use for cuttle-fish is as a "bill- sharpener ; " this is erroneous. The cuttle-fish is a mollusk caught in the China Sea, and is very largely used by all manufacturers of tooth-powder, its salty particles readily removing the tartar. All seed-eat- ing birds are fond of this, its salty taste seeming to give them a great relish for food. Birds, when proper care is taken of them, are rarely attacked with disease. If owners of feath- ered pets would first see that the cage is perfectly clean, and well supplied with plenty of gravel or gravel-paper for the bird to pick upon, and that the seed is of the very best quality, and that they are fed, and given a bath, at a regular hour daily, — then 20 BIRDS BATHING. birds, if kept from draughts of air, and no trash, such as sugar, candy, figs, raisins, cake, &c., fed them, will sing from ten to eleven months out of the year; which they always do with the poor families in Germany, who find it impossible to get such luxu- ries. It is only the wealthy and better classes that have so-called '' poor luck with birds." And why ? Because they kill them with kindness, — though it is very unkind to the bird. I have often been told that a Bird will not bathe, and asked how we can make it. In reply, I can only say that I have never yet, in an experience of nearly twenty-five years, seen a bird that will not bathe. True, some will not enter a bath-dish, as we would wish them to, and will persist in putting their heads into their drink- ing-cups or fountains instead, and, after wetting their head, push it through their feathers, and then, with their bill, thoroughly clean themselves ; which is very like the person who uses the "wet end of a towel," instead of taking a proper ablution. For this there is no help ; and we can only hope, that, with age, they will discover the beauties of a toilet which can only be arranged after a first-class bath. " Do Birds bathe whilst mated ? " I can only say, that some do, and some do not. It is al- ways well to give a bird its bath, and leave it to the bird's judgment whether to bathe or not. Saffron as a Medicine for birds seems to be almost in universal use, though why it is used is HOLDEN S BIRD CURES. 21 more than the author has ever been able to ascer- tain from those using it, more than that " My folks used to use it ; " and they presume that the bird required it. The medicinal property of saffron is diaphoretic, and used mostly to color and flavor other medicines. When chewed, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, though a pleasant aromatic flavor. It is not impossible that its bitter taste to the bird may give an increased appetite, which per- haps the bird needed, and in that way health is re- stored. The author, however, has discovered no medicinal property in it, excepting that of a cathar- tic ; and, as such, it is very good. But quiet to the bird is the best remedy ; and it is best obtained by covering the bird up quite closely on the first ap- pearance of ailment. Remedial Agents. — We put up in envelopes simple remedies for the cure of the following com- plaints ; all of which are known as " Holden's Bird Cure." Cure No. One, for diarrhoea; No. Two, for constipation ; No. Three, for debility ; No. Four, for moulting ; No. Five, for asthma, and loss of voice. Either one of the above will be forwarded by mail, prepaid, on receipt of twenty-five cents. Or the five remedies mentioned above, and one package of German Insect Powder (see p. 19), will all be for- warded, prepaid, on receipt of one dollar and twenty-five cents. As many who own birds have a desire to breed them, a little information may not be amiss to the new beginner. 2 2 GERMAN BREEDERS. Were you to visit one of the large breeding estab- lishments in Germany, you would observe a quantity of rooms arranged very much after the style of the sleeping-apartments of a hotel. Each of the rooms is properly furnished with light, ventilation, a quan- tity of small trees, feeding-boxes, water for bathing and drinking, and on the sides of the room a quan- tity of nests, and the floor covered with fine sand to the depth of three or more inches. In this room are placed twenty or more male birds, and three times their number of females ; and from this large feminine family every male chooses his mate, — and, reader, don't blush, for some of them choose even three and four mates, — all of which will hatch their young peacefully, and live one large, happy family together. The young birds (males) are taken at the age of six weeks, as they can then crack seed (and we will here remark, that, when they are fully feathered, they commence to warble ; that is, they fill their throats in the same manner as an old singing-bird : and this is the only way that male birds can be told from females when so very young), and placed in large cages, say twenty-five birds to a cage, and kept in rooms holding about twenty such cages until they are through moulting ; for a young bird, as soon as he is in full feather, commences to moult, or shed his body-feathers : his tail and wing feathers he sheds the second season. This moulting process requires about six weeks ; after which they are taken away from the sound of all singing canaries, into a BEAUTIFUL BELL-NOTE, ETC. 23 room having a small opening in the top ; and in the room above them is kept a nightingale, skylark, or some other fine whistling bird, the best of his spe- cies, who acts as instructor for the young birds. It is from this instructor they get these beautiful notes, the bow-trill, the bell-note, the flute, the water-note, &c., which are so much admired. At the age of six months they become adepts at singing ; and then the exportation to all parts of the civilized world commences. Americans raise Birds wholly for pleasure ; and it certainly is a pleasure. What greater amusement can be furnished children, and, in fact, children of a larger growth, than mating birds, and then rearing a nest of beautiful canaries ? — to watch the busy weavers make their nest ; the constant care and attention given to it by the mother-bird during the season of " sitting," who is so regularly relieved by her loving mate, who ever and anon covers the eggs while she is seeking food or rest ? Alas ! our little canary-bird has taught many a lesson to the human family ; and the constancy of a bird to its mate is rarely equalled by the lords of creation. A suitable Cage for breeding can be either of wood, wired, or the ordinary japanned tin cage, or brass. Should you use an ^/^ wooden cage, it should be thoroughly scalded with hot soda-water, to kill all vermin, and then varnished over. The birds should have a nest — wire is the best — securely fastened into one corner of the cage, first covering the nest with canton, or cotton-and-wool flannel, and hung 24 MATING SEASON. up against the wall at least a foot above your head, and in a southern aspect if possible, and not moved until you are through breeding for the season. There should always be placed in the cage, from a wall of some very old Imi/difig that is being torn down, a piece of mortar to make egg-shells from ; as, without this, the female would lay soft-shell eggs. In vain did the oldest of our English poets pro- claim his mandate in our ears, saying, — " Foules take heed of my sentence, I pray, And for your own ease in fordring of your need, As fast as I may speak, I v/ill me speed : Ye know well how, on St. Valentine's Day, By my statute, and through my governaunce, Ye do chuse your mates, and after fiie away With him, as I move you with plesaunce." From the 14th of February to the middle of May, all birds have what is known as the Mating Fever. — This fever, or sexual desire, is the strongest during the latter part of April, and early in May ; and, if not mated, they sit moping with ruffled feathers, cease singing entirely, refuse their food, and often, in their silent sorrow, pine away and die. If their attention can be diverted from this " lovesickness," it should always be done. The better cure is to mate your bird. If this is incon- venient, place him in the cheerful sunlight, tempt him with dainty morsels of food, talk and whistle to him ; and, if you have a friend who owns a bird, let your bird visit him, and cheerful company will soon restore him ; or a better way still is to leave him at a well kept bird-store. HOW TO MATE BIRDS. 25 A question often asked at bird-stores is,- " How DO YOU MATE A PaIR OF BiRDS ? " The reader is supposed to own a male canary. If such supposition be true, then go to a first-class bird-store, and buy a female canary and breeding-cage ; and the very best way to mate a pair of birds is to place the female in the breeding-cage, and hang it up on one side of the room ; and, leaving the male bird in his cage^ hang him up on the other side, and within sight of her. If he sings and calls to her, and she calls back in return, as much as to say, " May I come in your cage } " then you can put them together; and, though they may quarrel at first, this will be only of short duration, and they will very soon mate. " The tuneful choir in amorous strains Accost their feathered loves ; While each fond mate, with equal pains, The tender suit approves." In mating Birds, a young male and old female produce mostly male birds ; and those of about the same age produce about equal proportions of both males and females. A female Canary will mate with the following birds, and produce a very beautiful songster, which is known as a mule : the linnet, goldfinch, bulfinch, siskin, our native bobolink, indigo-bird, and other birds of a similar size ; and the male from these birds is very highly prized on account of his beauty and song. A hybrid variety is mentioned in a German work 26 HOW TO RAISE HANDSOME BIRDS. as being a cross between a female bulfinch and a male canary ; in form and plumage it somewhat resembles both parents, and is a delightful songster, not so loud as the canary, but with notes more soft and mellow. This is a very rare bird, it being diffi- cult to breed and rear such. To PRODUCE A HANDSOME YELLOW BiRD, your male should be a jonquil, which is a deep yellow bird with almost an orange crown ; and the female a mealy bird, which is a whitish yellow, and has the appear- ance of being frosted or powdered all over. A clear yellow male and a mealy female will usually produce 2, pure yellow bird ; while a clear yellow male mated with a gray or green female will usually produce a very handsome mottled bird. A deep yellow or orange-colored male with a very dark-green female often produces the highly prized cinnamon bird. After mating your birds, a period of only seven to eight days elapses before the female commences to lay ; and she will lay from four to seven eggs, one each day, at about the same hour, and sit upon them for thirteen days, when the operation of hatching commences. Dealers in birds are constantly visited by owners of feathered pets to seek information on a subject to which their human instinct should furnish the answer. This is particularly the case in breeding- season ; and a question asked daily is, — " My Bird is egg-bound : what shall I do for it ? " A few questions from the dealer reveals the fact that the female has been fed upon dry seed, and food of HOW BIRDS ARE HATCHED. 2'J a clogging nature ; and the information given at once is, Feed your bird some green stuff or a piece of apple, thereby loosening it (which should have been done before mating), and, carefully taking the bird out, rub the passage gently with warm sweet-oil. At times birds are egg-bound from having taken cold : should this be the case, give also the reme- dies for a cold. Birds are hatched one each Day, until all the eggs are hatched. If it should happen that one or more eggs remain in the nest, and do not hatch at the proper time, it would be well to take them out of the nest carefully, using for this purpose a tea-spoon so as not to handle them, and hold them before a strong light ; and, if there is the appearance of blood-veins, place them back carefully ; for they may yet be hatched. If, upon the other hand, the ^gg be clear and transparent, it can be thrown away as worthless. It is a rule in Europe to never throw away an egg until it has been laid at least twenty- one days. From the time the young birds are born, the male bird helps feed them, if he is a good father, and so partially relieves the female. If he should at times seem quarrelsome with his mate, or show too 7Jiuch attention of a loving kind to her, it would be well to separate them, putting him in his own cage until the young birds are nearly feathered ; then, after they have perched a few nights, they can be removed to other cages, and the male returned, and another brood raised ; and the same operation repeated. 28 BIRDS EAT THEIR EGGS. Cases have been known of raising seven broods in a season. " With cheerful hop from perch to spray, They sport along the meads; In social bliss together stray Where love or fancy leads. Through spring's gay scenes each happy pair Their fluttering joys pursue ; Its various charms and produce share, Forever kind and true." Those who raise birds are often annoyed by the male, and sometimes by the female bird Eating the Eggs as soon as they are laid : this usually occurs from improper feeding. Birds that are mated require rich food ; and this rich food should be given for three to four weeks previous to mating them. When this is done, it is very rare that the eggs are disturbed. The richest and best food for your birds, in addi- tion to their regular mixed seed, — no hemp, — should be the following: one hard-boiled ^gg — the whole ^gg — grated on a coarse horse-radish grater, and one common soft cracker, rolled fine with a rolling- pin, or carefully grated, and then mixed together, and fed to the birds in small quantities at least twice per day ; and this food must be continued to the old birds until you are through breeding ; and the same food must be continued to the Young Birds until they can crack seed, which they can do with ease at the age of six weeks. It is, however, an advantage to soak some rape-seed, BIRDS LEFT TO STARVE. 29 and put it in for the young birds as soon as they leave the nest. Another source of great annoyance to bird-breed- ers is, that occasionally the old birds desert the young, and leave them to starve. This I never knew to occur where birds were placed in a suitable place, as described on p. 23, and always fed and cared for by the same person. It is the constant annoy- ance to which a bird is subjected that occasions this. It is usually the fault of those who have had this ill luck. They take great pride in the birds they are prospectively going to raise ; and, as soon as they are from the egg, the cage is taken down on all occasions, and shown to every visitor ; and, when it is too much trouble to take it down, the step- ladder, a chair, or table is brought into action in order to show up the bird family ; and then the bird-dealers are asked the question, "Why did my old bird desert the young before they were a week old } " Those who have had this ill luck doubtless see wherein success in the future awaits them. Occasionally there is no apparent cause for the old birds deserting the young. When such proves to be the case, and the old birds are very good ones, it is always well to bring the young up by hand, using the food described above, and using a quill with a small piece cut from one side, similar to the old- fashioned quill-pen. It can then be used as a spoon ; and, with three or four such spoonfuls, feed them every hour ; and not feed of tener than once an hour, using judgment in not over-feeding the birds. It is 30 DOES A YOUNG BIRD MOULT? always a good rule to take the nest from the cage, and keep the young birds in it, covering them over slightly until they are well feathered. We are often asked the question, — "Does a Young Bird moult?" — Our answer is, Yes. A young bird is usually in full feather at the age of six weeks (we will here state, that, when he is four weeks old, he will swell up his throat, and try to warble ; and by this you can tell the males from the females) ; and, when he is in full feather, he commences to moult, or shed his body- feathers. The wing and tail feathers he does not shed until the second season : this process is slow in a young bird, and usually requires about eight weeks to change all the body-feathers ; during all of which time they should be fed, at least twice a week, on the hard-boiled &gg and cracker, as described above, and kept out of all draughts of air. If your bird — the father of the young — is a good singer, the young birds will learn readily, and, at the age of six months, become fine songsters. ' The Longbreed, or French Canary, has had his day, and is now "run out." His high, square shoulders give him an ungainly appearance ; and his great length and delicate frame make him a very weak bird, and not well adapted for the parlor ; while in powers of song he is far inferior to the short, or German Canary, so generally admired the world over for his exquisite notes. BEAUTIFUL BIRDS. 31 " Birds, birds ! ye are beautiful things, With your earth-treading feet, and your cloud-cleaving wings. Where shall man wander, and where shall he dwell, Beautiful birds, that ye come not as well ? Ye have nests on the mountain all rugged and stark. Ye have nests in the forest all tangled and dark ; Ye build and ye brood 'neath the cottager's eaves. And ye sleep on the sod 'mid the bonnie green leaves ; Ye hide in the heather, ye lurk in the brake. Ye dive in the sweet-flags that shadow the lake ; Ye skim where the stream parts the orchard-decked land, Ye dance where the foam sweeps the desolate strand. Beautiful birds ! ye come thickly around When the bud's on the branch, and the snow's on the ground ; Ye come when the richest of roses flush out. And ye come when the yellow leaf eddies about. Beautiful birds ! how the schoolboy remembers The warblers that chorussed his holiday tune, — The robin that chirped in the frosty December, The blackbird that whistled through flower-crowned June. That schoolboy remembers his holiday ramble. When he pulled every blossom of palm he could see ; When his finger was raised as he stopped in the bramble, With * Hark ! there's the cuckoo : how close he must be ! ' " THE GOLDFINCH. " Oh ! what is so pretty, so cunning, so gay, So daintily busy the livelong day, As my little goldfinch, — beautiful pet, — With his butterfly wings, and cap of jet ? Far, far, from his native bowers of bloom, He lives a prisoner, yet feels no gloom ; For his merry glance and his sprightly song Tell plainly as words that he fears no wrong." THE GOLDFINCH. 33 The Goldfinch, of all parlor birds, is certainly one of the most delightful, alike for the beauty of his plumage, the excellence of his song, his proved docility, and remarkable cleverness. He is also very easily tamed, and is capable of great attachment to his owner ; and may be taught various amusing tricks, such as dragging a little wagon up an inclined plane into his cage to supply himself with food, or to ring a bell whenever he requires attention, and to haul up water from a little well underneath the cage. All these he will learn very readily, and without any coercion. Goldfinches have been known to live confined in a cage for sixteen or twenty years ; and, though they may lose their bright colors, they retain their activity and cheerfulness of disposition. Their food, in their wild state, consists of all kinds of seeds, &c. : in a cage, they should be fed upon maw-seed. As their bill, though as sharp as a needle, is in young birds quite soft, and, although very fond of rape and canary seed, they cannot readily crack it until they are at least two years old, it would always be well to soak a little canary and rape for them, thereby softening the hull, and making it a matter of no trouble for them to crack ; and occasionally, as a reward for some trick, or display of affection, a few crushed hemp-seed, which he should be made to take from the hand. Most wild birds, when cap- tured, become in confinement sullen and dispirited : want of exercise and of a peculiar kind of food so alters the quality of the fluids, that fits and ailments 3 34 GOLDFINCH DISEASES. ensue ; and the bird mopes, and soon dies. Not so with the goldfinch : immediately after his capture he commences to feed on maw-seed (food which he could never have tasted before), frisk about the cage, and dress his plumage, without manifesting the least apparent regret for the loss of companions or liberty. His beauty, melody, and speedy recon- ciliation to confinement, render him a desirable companion ; and he is captured to cheer us with his manners and voice in airs and regions very different from his native thistly downs and apple-blossom bowers. Goldfinch has Diseases. — They are subject to epilepsy ; and sometimes, when closely confined, have swollen eyes. By anointing the eye with fresh butter, the ailment will be removed. They are greedy eaters, and are sometimes apt to overdo the matter. A cold bath will soon put them to rights. Goldfinch Mules. — The goldfinch will mate with the canary ; and the mule-birds produced are frequently very beautiful, and also good singers. The mixture, so to speak, of the song of the two birds, is particularly sweet, fine, and pleasant to the ear. In breeding mule-birds, it is true that it requires some patience, and also good judgment, for the successful rearing of choice mules ; but, when a satisfactory result is obtained, it is well worth the pains. As an occasional experiment, the attempt to obtain birds of this kind will have its charms and attrac- tions for many ; but for ourselves we confess we care little for mules in any shape or form. MULE-RAISING. 35 A wise Providence has set the mark of sterility on all such heterogenous offspring ; and while it has thus said, as though in displeasure at the attempt to transgress its laws, "Hitherto shalt thou go, and no farther," — on the other hand, we read on the first page of Holy Writ how, when God commanded the water to bring forth abundantly every living creature that moveth, and every winged fowl, each was to be " after his kind." In this way alone he bestowed his blessing upon them, and commanded them thus to replenish the earth. "What God hath joined together let no man put asunder ; " and what he hath put asunder let no man attempt to bring together. " God spake : the waters teem with life, The tenants of the floods ; The many-colored winged birds Dart quickly through the woods. High rushes the eagle On fiery wings ; Low hid in the valley, ^ The nightingale sings. "God spake : the lion, bull, and horse Spring from the moistened clay ; While round the breast of Mother Earth Bees hum, and lambkins play. They give life to the mountain, They swarm on the plain, But their eyes fixed on earth Must forever remain. 36 THE CHORUS OF HEAVEN. " God spake : he looked on earth and heaven With mild and gracious eye ; In his own image man he made, And gave him dignity. He springs from the dust, The lord of the earth : The chorus of heaven Exult at his birth. And now creation's work was ended ; Man raised his head, he spoke ; The day of rest by God ordained — The sabbath morning — broke." THE LINNET. I wadna gie the liittie's sang, Sae merry on the bonnie lea, For all the harps that ever rang In all the halls of minstrelsie. Mair dear to me, where bush or breer Amang the pathless heather grows, The lintie's wild sweet note to hear. As on the ev'nin' breeze it flows. Burns. The Linnet, either gray or brown, is a beautiful songster, and is very generally kept throughout Eu- rope. He is of a hardy constitution, easily domesti- cated, a most lovely and constant singer, uttering many very sweet, flute-like notes ; and if fed princi- pally on canary and rape seed, with occasionally a very few hemp-seed, will remain in health. These two birds are spoken of as two distinct varieties, but in reality they are not ; for the same bird which at one year old, when it has no red feath- ers in the head, is a gray lm?ief, becomes after the second moulting, when the red of the breast takes a golden hue from the yellowish-white margins of the 37 38 THE LINNET. feathers, a yellow linnet ; and in the spring of the third year, when the forehead is blood red, the feathers on the side of the breast the same color, and a f e^^ruginous tinge prevails over the whole body, the bird comes out in all his glory as a rose liimet. By and by, when age steals on, or sickness or con- finement tell upon the constitution of the sweet songster, he falls from his high estate ; his plumage changes, and he is a brown, gray, or yellow linnet, as the case may be. There is scarcely any bird, per- haps, that puts on so many different dresses in the course of his life as our little linnet ; there is scarcely any telling what changes each moult will produce : that is, in a state of confinement ; for in a natural state the bird will go through its regular gradations of plumage in a natural manner, and one may safely judge of his age by his dress ; but in an artificial state it is not so. He is fond of bathing, and we might say of two kinds : first, like the skylark, in plenty of gravel (of which there must be an abundance in the cage) ; and, second, in water, and a bathing-dish must be given daily. His diseases are similar to all seed- eating birds in confinement ; and the treatment must be the same, for which see article on Sick Birds. Linnet Mules. — The male linnet will some- times mate with the canary ; but the mules are not nearly so beautiful as the offspring of the goldfinch and canary, though they are generally good song- sters, and highly prized on that account. THE SISKIN. The Siskin, sometimes called the black-headed thistlefinch, in point of beauty will bear no com- parison with the goldfinch, although possessing this recommendation in a high degree. The prevail- ing color of plumage is a yellowish green, elegantly marked and shaded with black ; a neat little bird, with a short tail, and stout beak ; the top of the head is altogether black, hence one of its names. This, as well as the goldfinch and linnet, is one of the species used in crossing with the canary. In Europe a favorite cage-bird, and really a beautifully plumaged one. Their song is short and low, though very agreeable, and they imitate with facility the notes of various birds. Caged, they should be fed on maw-seed mixed with crushed hemp. As they are a greedy bird, care must be taken not to feed them too much. In health or sickness their treat- ment, except feeding, should be the same as the canary. 39 THE CHAFFINCH. " The low, sweet singing of a bird, The murmur of the breeze, — How soft would glide our fleeting hours, Blest as the sunshine and the flowers, And calm as summer seas ! " Amelia. The Chaffinch. — Who that has ever read the letter of Michelet to his good wife, in his work en- titled "The Bird," could have failed to read his vivid description of a poor blind chaffinch that was offered for sale in the great bird auction rooms in Paris ? This bird had been a pet ; and poverty in the family had compelled his sale. This bird is one of the many European song-birds, and for the sweet- 40 SONG OF CHAFFINCH. 4I ness of his song, as well as for his sleek plumage, should be generally kept. In Germany chaffinches are so highly valued that very high prices are given for them if they possess a fine song ; a common workman will give sixteen shillings for a bird whose notes he considers good, and will frequently live upon bread and water until he can save money to purchase the desired ob- ject. His wild notes are soft and mellow, but have little variety : they are first heard very early in the year; for Chaffy seems at all times ambitious to open the vernal chorus, and to make a start before any other of the feathered musicians have got their in- struments in order. A curious circumstance con- nected with the natural history of chaffinches is, that the males and females separate during the winter, and resort to different parts of the country : hence the scientific name ccelebs, or the bachelor, ap- plied to this bird. In Europe they have singing matches amongst their birds, and the chaffinch that sings the greatest number of perfect notes within a given time gains the prize for his owner. A perfect note is represented by the syllables toll-loll-loll-chick- wee-do ; and if a bird slurs them over, or stops at chick or 7vee, the note is not counted. They are extremely docile, and can be trained, or taught to perform many amusing tricks. Their food should be the same as the canary ; adding, however, in the spring, a few hemp-seed to induce them to sing more freely. 42 THE BIRDS OF KILLINGWORTH. " The ballad-singers and the troubadours, The street-musicians of the heavenly city, — The birds, who make sweet music for us all In our dark hours, as David did for Saul, The thrush that carols at the dawn of day From the green steeples of the piny wood ; The oriole in the elm ; the noisy jay, Jargoning like a foreigner at his food ; The bluebird balanced on some topmost spray. Flooding with melody the neighborhood ; Linnet and meadow-lark, and all the throng That dwell in nests, and have the, gift of song. Whose household words are songs in many keys, Sweeter than instrument of man e'er caught. Whose habitations in the tree-tops even Are half-way houses on the road to heaven. Think, every morning when the sun peeps through The dim, leaf-latticed windows of the grove. How jubilant the happy birds renew Their old, melodious madrigals of love ! " Longfellow. THE BULFINCH. BuLFiNCH. — This bird has no natural song, but is gifted with the ability of imitating, with an astonish- ing accuracy, in a sweet and flutelike tone, almost any air that is whistled, or played to them on an instrument. This has made him a great favorite among all lovers of birds. In Germany, particularly in Hesse and Saxony, a large number of these birds are taught, and by the dealers brought to various parts of the world. The raising and teaching is generally accomplished by shoemakers, tailors, and weavers, who, being con- fined to their rooms, are thus enabled to take care of them. The teaching begins from the time they are taken into the house. The tune that it is intended they should learn is whistled to them — whistling is always preferred, as instruments are generally too shrill — several times a day, more particularly in the morning and evening. The tune must be whis- tled always in the same key, and no other tune whistled in the hearing of the bird, which is kept 43 44 THE BULFINCH. in rather a dark place during the process of train- ing. Taken as they are when quite young, and brought up by hand; they are always tame, and will take food from the hand of any one, and may be trained to sing or pipe their tune at command : they very soon learn to know the person who feeds them, — and we will here remark that the same person should always feed them, — and will pipe their tune, making beautiful and elegant gestures, now moving the body, and then the head, first to the right, then to the left, spreading the tail like a fan, and seem- ingly " fanning " with it, when they commence with a short flourish, or prelude, and pipe their tune through perfectly. The bulfinch should be fed principally on sum- mer rape-seed, to which may be added a little canary, and occasionally one or two hemp-seed, as a reward for piping his tune. Sugar, sweet-cakes, or such-like delicacies, spoil their taste, and should not be given to them. A little greens in the sum- mer, or sweet apple in the winter, is very whole- some, both of which must be fresh. As their claws grow very fast, and also very hooking, they must be cut at least twice a year. They must always be handled very gently, as they are easily frightened, and harsh treatment often causes their death. These birds usually moult in the month of Sep- tember ; and, as they shed their feathers very rap- idly, — sometimes becoming almost bare in one day, — great care must be taken to keep them from all THE BULFINCH. 45 draughts of air; and, in addition to their regular seed, a little of the yolk of a hard-boiled egg should be fed them at least three times a week. The bulfinch has diseases. These, however, are usually caused by improper care ; for if the bird be fed and watered regularly every day, at the same hour and dy the same perso?i^ and plenty of dry sand freely used, the cause of disease is greatly reduced. Occasionally these birds are troubled with a diarrhoea, and can be greatly relieved, and many times a permanent cure effected, by placing a rusty nail in their drinking-water : a nail should also be placed in their drinking-water during moult- ing season ; and, should a bird be troubled with the reverse of this complaint, — costiveness, — a piece of sweet apple, a little chickweed, lettuce, or any green food, will usually afford full relief. Occa- sionally this bird will appear dumpish, sitting all day upon his perch with ruffled feathers : the best mode of treatment is to give him a supply of maw, or what is sometimes called poppy-seed, which will in most cases quickly restore him to his usual spirits. THE NIGHTINGALE. " Night from her ebon throne stoops down to listen To this the sweetest songster of the grove ; And pulses thrill, and eyes with rapture glisten, As forth she pours her plaintive song of love." This bird is decidedly the most melodious of all singing-birds. The compass, flexibility, prodigious variety, and harmony of his voice, make him the 46 THE NIGHTINGALE. 47 greatest favorite of tlie lovers of the beauty of na- ture. Coleridge wrote thus of this bird : — " The merry nightingale, That crowds and hurries and precipitates, With fast, thick warble, his delicious notes, As if he were fearful that an April night Would be too short for him to utter forth His love-chant, and disburden his full soul Of all its music." He will sometimes dwell for several seconds on a strain composed of only two or three melancholy tones, beginning in an under-voice, and swelling it gradually by a most superb crescendo to the highest point of strength, then ending it by a dying cadence. His very striking musical talent, surpassing all other singing-birds, has acquired for him the name of the kinc of sono^sters. His food is the same as the American mocking-bird. When caged and well treated, they will sing for six or eight months during the year : some begin in December, some in January, and some in February, and sing till the month of July. Improper feeding, and other causes, have seemed, so far, to render it almost an impossibility to keep one of these birds more than a few months ; and, for the benefit of the lovers of this bird, we will give an extract from a letter from Mr. George B. Pear- son of Beverly, Mass. He says, — ^' As I write you, four p.m., Jan. 7, 1875, my night- ingale is singing sweetly. He commenced singing 48 THE NIGHTINGALE. early in December, 1873 ; and he did not cease to sing until September, 1874. He moults with no trouble at all, and since I have owned him has not had a sick hour. Your books will show you that I purchased him in the winter of 1872 ; and you did not advise me to buy him, but to * wait for a better bird later in the season.' " I cannot agree with high authorities, that the nightingale is a difficult bird to keep in the cage, if you know how to take care of him. With the very best of intentions, most persons starve their nightingales. The bird is an enormous eater. Less than half the size of a mocking-bird, he will eat double the quantity of food that the mocking-bird will eat ; and he requires it. But he is a very pa- tient bird, and will not, as will both the mocking- bird and black-cap, tell you by restless motion or call that he needs food. You may never fear to give a nightingale as much food as he will eat. " His daily bread and butter should be the pre- pared mocking-bird's food. Vary this food with grated carrot and ants' eggs, hard-boiled egg and ants' eggs, yellow turnip and ants' eggs, elderber- ries and ants' eggs (all of these half and half each), and ants' eggs moistened with water, alone by them- selves, and you have a bill of fare that will give you delicious song. " Can you obtain meal-worms, give your bird as many as you can afford to give him. He will sing all the better for every worm eaten. He is not a deli- cate bird, as, for example, the mocking-bird, if you THE NIGHTINGALE. 49 feed him on the right food. He is the king of song- sters, and he has the king of digestive organs. My bird sings from sunrise to sunset, and never a note at any other hour. When silent, a meal-worm will make him sing during the above-named hours. He will sing very loud till he silences my mocking- bird, and so loud that his song is disagreeable ; but when he has silenced my other birds, thirteen in number, he will delight you for hours. " I have always been very particular to keep his cage, perches, and feeding-dish very clean ; have used gravel (sand) in the cage freely, and given him his bath daily ; and I see no reason why, if the same rule is followed, that any bird cannot be kept in health and song for many years." 4 THE BLACK-CAP. " Sweet warblers of the sunny hours, Forever on the wing, I love them ag I love the flowers, The sunlight, and the spring. They come*like pleasant memories In summer's joyous time. And sing their gushing melodies As I would sing a rhyme. In the green and quiet places. Where the golden sunlight falls, We sit with smiling faces To list their silver calls. And, when their holy anthems Come pealing through the air, Our hearts leap forth to meet them With a blessing and a prayer. Amid the morning's fragrant dew, Amid the mists of even. They warble on as if they drew Their music down from heaven. How sweetly sounds each mellow note Beneath the moon's pale ray. When dying zephyrs rise and float Like lovers' sighs away ! " 50 THE BLACK-CAP. 5 1 The Black-Cap, sometimes called the mock nightingale, possesses, in the opinion of some^ powers of song equal to those of the more univer- sally acknowledged leader of the sylvan choir. He is a most delightful singer ; and his notes, though quite different, are no less admirable than the nightingale's, and are heard throughout the year, during the whole day, except in the moulting season. This may also be called the English mocking-bird, as he readily catches the notes of any other songster which he chances to hear. Sweet says that he has heard the black-cap imitate the nightingale so exactly that even his practised ear was deceived. If you love real bird-music, procure a black-cap at any cost ; for he will make the whole house ring again, his song is so full, so sweet, so deep and loud, and so enriched with a variety of oily, silvery mod- ulations, especially that long, soft shake, which, though it sinks gradually into the lowest note a bird can utter, is heard as distinctly as the louder tones ; and then just as you think it is about to die away, and you begin to anticipate the silence that must follow, higher and higher swells the song to the lofti- est burst of melody, and you feel as if you wouldn't part with the bird for twenty times his weight in gold. When singing he distends his little throat, while the whole body quivers with delight, telling that he feels as much pleasure as he gives to the listener. Gil- bert White, whose " Natural History of Selborne " •every boy ought to read for the sake of its beautiful 52 THE BLACK-CAP. descriptions of the habits of birds and animals, speaking of the black-cap, says his " note has such a wild sweetness that it always brings to my mind those lines in a song in Shakspeare's *As You Like It : ' — ' And tune his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat.' " And I have no doubt in my own mind that Shak- speare was listening to the singing of the black-cap, or called to memory his notes, as he had often heard them when a boy in the green fields that spread around his native place, when he composed that beautiful and simple song which begins with, — " Under the greenwood tree, Who loves to lie with me." The back and wings c^ the black-cap are of an olive gray, throat and breast of a silvery gray, belly and vent white, sides of the head and back of the neck ash color, and the top of head black as night, whence the name. Caged, he requires the same food as all soft-bill birds, with the addition of elderberries, of which he is very fond. The black- cap, and most of the genus, suffer from tender feet, and swellings or warts upon them : a little cold cream will soon cure these. TO A SKY-LARK. Ethereal minstrel ! pilgrim of the sky ! Dost thou despise the earth where cares abound ? Or, while the wings aspire, are heart and eye Both with thy nest upon the dewy ground ? — Thy nest, which thou canst drop into at will, Those quivering wings composed, that music still. Leave to the nightingale her shady wood : A privacy of glorious light is thine ; Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood Of harmony, with instinct more divine. Type of the wise who soar, but never roam. True to the kindred points of heaven and home. Wordsworth. 54 THE SKY-LARK. This beautiful warbler is spread all over Europe, and has the most peculiar manner of flying of any of the feathered tribe, his movement being invaria- bly upwards in a perpendicular line ; after leaving his grassy abode, beginning his melodious song, which he continues unceasingly till nearly out of sight, looking like a mere speck, towards the heav- ens, — and even then you may hear his sweet voice dying away as if in the clouds, — he descends in like manner, still continuing to gratify his hearers below with his own peculiar melody till within a short dis- tance from his nest ; then silently alighting, hiding himself in the grass, fearing, as if by instinct, some straggling wanderers were watching his movements, to find out the spot to "rob a bird's-nest," when he creeps along, quite unseen, to visit his home and little family. He is the bird that Shakspeare fancied went singing up into the very gates of heaven ; the minstrel of the sky, who makes all the gold and sil- ver pillars in cloud-land echo when he warbles in his great star-roofed skyey hall. This is the bird that sleeps beside the daisies, and among the gentle lambs : that makes a nest in any hole in the ground, the print of a horse's or bullock's hoof serving as well as any thing else in which to deposit the five greenish-white brown spotted eggs. The sky-lark will readily imitate the songs of other birds, and also learn tunes, and in confinement sings during half the year, and may be tamed so as to come and eat from the hand. THE WOOD-LARK. " What time the timorous hare trips forth to feed, When the scared owl skims round the grassy mead, Then high in air, and poised upon his wings, Unseen the soft enamoured wood-lark sings." The Wood-lark is also a beautiful bird, and resembles the sky-lark in color, but is smaller. If he cannot soar so high nor sing so sweetly as the sky-lark, he can do what the latter can't; and that is, either sit and smg on the branch of a tree, or have a fly, and carry his music along with him. But, though so partial to perching on a branch, like the sky-lark he builds on the ground. Some bird-fan- ciers say he possesses a more musical and sonorous 55 56 THE WOOD-LARK. note than most other singing-birds ; but his imitative faculties are not very good, for, unless reared from the nest near some other birds, he will not learn their strains. His song is very much prized, and ranked by many amateurs next to the nightingale's : he sings far into the night. This bird is more easily tamed than the sky-lark, and appears more happy in captiv- ity. He is of an affectionate disposition, and, if pains are taken to gain his affection, will become much attached to his owner ; but he is a delicate bird, and dainty in appetite, and requires variety in food. Most of the wood-larks perch, therefore he must have a square perch put into his cage ; but, if not used, it should be taken away. He must have a fresh-cut turf, if possible, once a week, and plenty of gravel and chalk. It is very rare that either of the larks will take a bath, much preferring — like domestic fowls — to dust themselves ; and for this reason sand or gravel must be used very freely, and always kept in the cage to the depth of not less than half an inch. The lark requires what is known as the lark-cage, and will not do well in any other. It is a low-priced cage, and can always be purchased at any bird-store. The food of the sky and wood lark is the same as the American mocking-bird. If the bird is unwell, or becomes loose, grate a little cheese into his food : some licorice in his water will also be of service, as likewise a spider occasionally. THE THRUSH. But when the morning broke, and the green woods Were all alive with birds, with what a clear And ravishing sweetness sang the plaintive thrush ! I love to hear his delicate rich voice, Chanting through all the gloomy day, when loud Amid the trees is dropping the big rain. And gray mists wrap the hills ; for aye the sweeter His song is when the day is sad and dark. Longfellcw. The Song-Thrush is a most melodious singer, being gifted with a more powerful tone than any of the feathered choristers of the European forest. This speckled musician pleases with delight, and 57 58 THE THRUSH. satisfies, as it were, the very soul of the listener. In the wild state he sings only during the spring ; but, when caged and properly treated, will sing eight or nine months of the year, commencing about December or January. It is for this reason, as well as for his beautiful song, that the thrush is so much kept in cages, and domesticated. He must have a large cage, well strewn with coarse sand or gravel, and should be well supplied with water for drinking and bathing ; but his bath should be taken away when used, as the bird is liable to cramp. The food and water should be put outside of the cage, if possible. The thrush will live many years in confinement, if properly fed and cared for. The ailment to which he is most subject is constipation. A large spider is the best remedy ; abundance of pure fresh air, and a change of diet, should be given. The male and female are so much alike in color, that it is very difficult to distinguish them : the female is a little smaller, and has not quite such a glossy brown plumage as the male ; so that the purchaser of a thrush should make sure of the sex by hearing the song. The male has great imitative powers, and will readily learn tunes played on wind instruments or whistled to him. Food same as preceding. THE BLACKBIRD. " O blackbird ! sing me something well : While all the neighbors shoot thee round, I keep smooth plats of fruitful ground, Where thou may'st warble, eat, and dwell." Tennyson. The Blackbird, whose plumage is of a pure vel- vety black, with an orange-yellow bill, is a fine songster. The notes, though not so various as those of the thrush, still are of a more sweet, flute- like tone. Besides this, he possesses the ability of imitating airs which are whistled to him : these he executes with great perfection, and is said never to forget a tune once learned. An anecdote is told of 59 60 THE BLACKBIRD. one who had been taught to whistle an air, which, on hearing played with variations on the piano, af- fronted him so exceedingly that he hissed and flut- tered his wings till the performance stopped, and then gave his version of the air, whistling it all through as he had learned it. The same bird fell into the hands of a lady whose custom it was to have the Evening Hymn sung at the conclusion of family prayers. He caught the tune, and always accompanied their voices, and from that time regu- larly whistled it every evening at the same hour, long after he had passed into another family, and continued the practice for the remainder of his life. The blackbird will also learn to imitate the songs of other birds, the crowing of a cock, the gobble of a turkey, and in his wild state will often mimic them. He is very fond of bathing, and may have a good deep bath daily in the sunshine ; but his cage should not be left wet, as he is subject to cramp like the thrush : there should be plenty of dry sand or gravel on the floor. He will live in captivity from twelve to sixteen years, and sing in a loud and joyous tone the whole year, except during the moulting season. When in a wild state, this bird sings only three months in the year ; when caged, nearly throughout the year. His food and treatment are the same as for the mocking-bird. ROBIN REDBREAST. " Good-by, good-by to summer, For summer's nearly done ; The garden smiling faintly, Cool breezes in the sun ; The t-hrushes now are silent, Our swallows flown away, But Robin's here in coat of brown, And scarlet breast-knot gay. Robin, Robin Redbreast, O Robin dear ! Robin sings so sweetly In the falling of the year ! " The English Robin Redbreast. — This bird is very popular in Europe, particularly in England, being lively and very handsome. He is easily tamed, so as to be let out of his cage, and play about- a room. He has, by fearless conduct, earned golden opin- ions from all classes of men. Every nation seems 6i 62 ENGLISH ROBIN. to protect him. Even the American redbreast lives unharmed, possibly on account of his connec- tion with his English relation, whose oft-told charity is mentioned in the good old ballad of the " Babes in the Wood " whom Robin Redbreast " painfully " did bury beneath the leaves : — " Leaves of all hues, gold, red, and green, Ruins of summer bowers ; A thousand times more beautiful Than all her choicest flowers." In the winter, when the berries are gone, insects dead; and the worms hidden under the hard-frozen soil, then the robin flies for refuge to the habita- tions of man for shelter and food. It is very amus- ing to see the half-trusting, half-fearful look with which he hops to the window-sill for the first time. After a while he becomes bold, and taps at the win- dow, if the expected crumbs are not thrown out. He possesses a sweet warbling song, is very fond of bathing, and should therefore be daily provided with a bath ; but, when allowed to fly about a room, care must be taken not to leave a pitcher or any large vessel with water within reach, as he is very apt to try to bathe in it, and frequently gets drowned. Being a soft-bill bird, his food is the same as the preceding birds. THE STARLING. The Starling. — His natural song is rather poor ; but he has a wonderfully good memory. He will learn to repeat several airs that are played to him, with great ease ; nay, more : he learns to pro- nounce words very distinctly, or imitate the song of other birds, or any sounds when repeatedly heard. Besides this, he becomes very tame in the house, so as to be let out of the cage, and walk about the room. He soon knows all the persons in the house, is always gay and wakeful, and as docile and cun- ning as a dog. His food and treatment may be the same as that of the mocking-bird. He is a very hardy bird, and will sometimes attain the age of fif- teen years. 63 THE OLD-WORLD SPARROW. BY WILLIAM C. BRYANT. We heai" the note of a stranger bird, That ne'er till now in our land was heard : A winged settler has taken his place With Teutons, and men of the Celtic race : He has followed their path to our hemisphere, The Old- World sparrow at last is here. He meets not here, as beyond the main, The fowler's snare and the poisoned grain ; But snug-built homes on the friendly tree, And grubs for his chirping family Are strewn when the winter fields are drear ; For the Old- World sparrow is welcome here. 64 THE OLD-WORLD SPARROW. 65 The insect legions that sting our fruit, And strip the leaves from the growing shoot, — A swarming, skulking, ravenous tribe. Which Harris and Fitch so well describe, But cannot destroy, — may quail with fear ; For the Old-World sparrow, their foe, is here. The apricot in the summer ray May ripen now on the loaded spray ; And the nectarine on the garden-walk Keep firm its hold on the parent stalk ; And the plum its fragrant fruitage rear ; For the Old-World sparrow, their friend, is here. That pest of gardens — the little Turk Who signs with the crescent his wicked work. And causes the half-grown fruit to fall — Shall be seized and swallowed in spite of all His sly devices of cunning and fear ; For the Old-World sparrow, his foe, is here. And the army-worm and the Hessian fly And the dreaded canker-worm shall die ; And the thrip and slug and fruit-moth seek In vain to escape that busy beak ; And fairer harvests shall crown the year ; For the Old-World sparrow at last is here. The English Sparrow, now so commonly seen in all of the parks," and, in fact, streets, of New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City, and Hoboken, was first intro- duced by the Messrs. Reiche in 1858. The cost of the first importation was partly paid by Mr. W. H. Scheiffellin, who had a quantity of them set free in the garden of his palatial residence in Madison Square, New-York City. The quantity of sparrows 5 66 THE OLD-WORLD SPARROW. now seen around the Fifth-Avenue Hotel are de- scendants of this first importation. The remainder of the sparrows were given their liberty by Mr. Henry Reiche in the Central Park. How they have increased and multiplied, we need not inform our readers who are in the habit of visiting the metrop- olis of America, and how faithfully they have de- voured all worms and insects that formerly ruined the beautiful trees ; and we might say they have been the saving of the fruit-crop the whole length of the Hudson River. Gardens which had not a currant in them for years, and apple-orchards that had ceased to bear, were all in fine bearing order the same season the sparrows were introduced. The question is often asked, " Do these birds destroy seed after planting ? " We answer, No : they are an insect-eating bird, and never eat or scratch seed. They are consequently the farmer's best friend. In reply to a question, " How many broods do they raise in a year?" In New York and vicinity they raise four broods in a season, and will doubt- less do the same in any part of the country ; and they never rear less than four to a brood, oftentimes six birds. If our farmers and gardeners knew how destructive they were to insects, and how crops would be increased by their introduction, the subject would receive earnest consideration. The sparrows now sold are all raised in New York and its vicinity, and of course are thoroughly acclimated ; so no fears need be entertained of their dying from change of climate. THE OLD-WORLD SPARROW. 67 To those who propose introducing this bird, either private individuals, or town or city authorities, we would suggest the propriety of sending their orders during the months of January and February. The sparrows ordered at that time will be ready for de- livery at a date not later than the 15th of April. At this time they begin mating, and are engaged in building their nests, and consequently cannot be caught and transported to other places without dan- ger to them, and loss of life, which, if persisted in, would speedily exterminate all the sparrows which have cost America immense sums of money. Lovers of sparrows who desire introducing them, and have neglected ordering during the months of January and February, and who do not reside north of Port- land, can order at any time in the summer, and re- ceive them during the months of October and No- vember. The birds sent at this time are hardy, and require but little care ; the main point being to sup- ply them with soft food, such as stale bread, &c. If the snow should remain for a considerable length of time, it would be well to sweep a piece of ground, thereby enabling them to procure gravel, which is of the utmost importance for proper digestion and con- sequent health. THE GRAY PARROT. " Behind us at our evening meal The gray bird ate his fill, Swung downward by a single claw, And wiped his hooked bill. He shook his wings and crimson tail, And set his head aslant, And, in his sharp, impatient way, Asked, ' What does Charlie want } ' 68 THE GRAY PARROT. 69 • Fie, silly bird ! ' I answered : * tuck Your head beneath your wing, And go to sleep ; ' but o'er and o'er He asked the selfsame thing. Then smiling to myself I said, — How like are men and birds ! We all are saying what he says, In action or in words." Wkittier. Gray Parrot, which, by its docility and affec- tionate conduct towards those who treat it kindly, and its wonderful power of imitating the human voice, has, with all its awkwardness, a very strong hold upon the human family. The very best spe- cies of the parrot is the African, which has a fine ashen-gray color, with a black bill, white face, and scarlet tail. These birds, either male or female, make excellent talkers : they can also be taught a tune, which they will sing or whistle perfectly ; and while they will seemingly forget many words and sen- tences which they have once pronounced perfectly, yet they never forget a song if it is once thoroughly taught them. The next parrot in attractive quali- ties is the green, with white over his bill. This bird makes an excellent talker, is equally as docile as the gray, and attains a great age. Another spe- cies very much admired is the yellow-head parrot. This, as well as several other varieties, is univer- sally kept and admired. The parrot, like all other birds, is liable to disease ; but with care it can be kept in nearly perfect health. In order to take yO THE PARROT. proper care of a bird, cleanliness first always ^ then place plenty of gravel in the cage, feed at a regular and stated time, always feeding the most simjDle and plain or coarse food. In its native country it feeds upon the seeds of the sunflower and the various grains, and with its exercise in its wild state does not grow too fleshy. Caged, it must be fed vastly different. A good food for parrots is cold boiled potatoes, stale bread or crackers soaked sometimes in water, sometimes in milk, and some- times in coffee, using the coffee just as it is leached or boiled, without the addition of milk or sugar. Bread soaked in coffee is a delicate morsel, and one of which a parrot is very fond. They also like canary-seed, unhulled rice, cracked corn, and hemp- seed. Of the two latter, very little should be given them ; and they should nrotr have fed to them greasy food from the table, — sugar, cake, candy, or any such trash. A piece of apple or a little green stuff occasionally does no harm. Peanuts, forming a part of their native food, can always be given them. These rules followed, your parrot should be healthy. There are but two diseases that alike annoy the parrot and its owner ; and a constant inquiry at bird-stores is, ''What makes my parrot pull his feathers out ? " The reply invariably is, " You feed your bird too highly." And we will here remark that the parrot, like almost the majority of the human family, is afflicted with some kind of a skin disease, and the feeding of rich food drives this disease to the surface, causing an eruption, and a THE PARROT. 71 consequent itching sensation, which the parrot re- lieves by pulling out its feathers. The only remedy for parrots addicted to this habit is to feed them on either raw or boiled carrots and well-roasted pea- nuts. These are both cooling foods, being entirely free from grease of any kind. They also require showering with cold water from three to six times per day ; and, as they should only be showered with a spray of water, it would be well to put a piece of rub- ber tube on the end of a faucet, and, holding the fin- ger nearly close across the end, cause the water to fall in a spray upon the bird. When it is not con- venient to thus shower a bird, a mouthful of water blown over the bird will answer every purpose. Should your parrot be attacked with diarrhoea (which, if he is properly cared for, he will not be), he should have all green food, fruit, &c., taken away, and be fed upon milk which has been boiled away, say at least a quarter, and thickened with the least 77iite of Graham flour, so called, with the ad- dition of a very^ very little red pepper. If this does not effect a cure in from one to three days, then give him stale bread soaked in warm sherry-wine, which has had a very little burnt sugar added thereto, — not, however, giving this until the other has failed. Even these remedies usually efficacious have failed at the time when a parrot v/as shedding his feathers ; and whole peppers and spices of various kinds are given the bird, but without the desired effect. The last remedy for this painful disease is laudanum or 72 THE PARROT. pttrogoric. If the latter, five drops in a teaspoon of milk, poured down the bird's throat, and the dose repeated every half-hour until relief comes, when discontinue, and feed a little plain food, and keep the bird covered up in a shawl or piece of blanket, and in a warm place, until again restored to health. If the bird has sore feet, occasioned only by a dirty cage, and not using sand freely, first put sand into the cage, then wash his feet in lukewarm water, first lidding a little tincture of arnica thereto. If your parrot is troubled with costiveness, green fruit and exercise outside the cage is the best remedy. If gouty, which they will show by their feet swell- ing, and a partial closing of the claws, immerse the feet in quite warm water once or more per day, and Boak them for ten or fifteen minutes ; dry thoroughly, and in a week or ten days a cure will be effected. Sometimes v/ith old cases it takes even longer. If your bird is troubled with fits, a sprinkling with cold water usually effects a cure. Should you be trou- bled with lice on your parrot, you can wash him with a strong solution of tobacco, made by steeping a little chewing-tobacco in water, or a very little flower of sulphur can be sprinkled among the feath- ers. These comprise about all the ailments of the par- rot family ; and the remedies here laid down for their treatment also apply to the dwarf parrot, or what are more commonly known as paroquets : 'but with care (not too much care) you will be relieved of these troublesome complaints. THE AUSTRALIAN PAROQUET. Paroquet is the name generally given to the smaller kinds of parrots, from which birds the species placed under this head do not otherwise differ than in size : the term is somewhat arbitrarily applied, so that you will frequently have the same bird called at one time a parrot, at another a paroquet, as might be expected, there being no exact boundary line to divide the larger from the lesser kinds. 7 . 73 74 THE AUSTRALIAN PAROQUET. The Australian Paroquet, a very beautiful and eccentric bird, has but recently been introduced into this country ; yet he possesses so many desirable qualifications that he has at once become a well- known member of the " bird family," This bird is a native of the island from whence the name is derived ; and in a wild state leads a retired and sequestered life, sometimes alone, and again in pairs. During mating season they are found in pairs, and in immense numbers, the male and female each singing to the other incessantly. As they are inhabitants of the ground, where they build their nests, they are rarely found in trees. Their plumage is a beautiful shade of green, with a few brownish or black feathers upon the back, and the feathers of the head a bright lemon color ; which, added to the bright blue spots around the head and neck, make them a beautiful and attractive bird. They easily become domesticated to cage-life, and are capable of being taught many amusing tricks. They are hardy birds, and easily endure the cold winters of the north, the author once having placed a pair where water froze to the depth of an inch, and this, too, without any perceptible injury to the birds. They should be fed wholly upon canary-seed, and allowed frequent baths. With this treatment they will continue in perfect health for many years. THE TROOPIAL. The South American Troopial has a beautiful rich plumage, and looks very much like our Ameri- can golden robin, or what is known as the Baltimore oriole ; the chief difference being that he is much larger in size, with the orange of the body more of a yellow. Few, if any, birds have a natural song at once so sweet and powerful as this ; and none have a nicer ear and a more retentive memory. Take a young male, and instruct him carefully by means of a flageolet or flute, and he will not only repeat the air played, but imitate the very tones of the instru- 75 76 THE TROOPIAL. ment with astonishing fidelity. We have heard troopials thus instructed whose strain seemed to us the very perfection of melody, such as only a skilful performer could produce ; and such a one as this is really a valuable bird. Give us the troopial with the loud sweet song morning and evening, the vesper and matin chants, and his beautiful plumes seeming veritable sunbeams of the tropics, diffusing light and warmth around. They are extremely active, and very graceful in their movements, and require a cage the same size that a mocking-bird is usually confined in. In their wild state their food consists of insects and berries ; caged, they require the same food and treatment as the mocking-bird. They may also be brought up without much difficulty upon white bread soaked in milk, and raw lean meat scraped fine, and mixed with it. There are few wild birds, which, when confined, become so thoroughly domesticated as the troopial. They can be taught with little trouble to accept food from the hand, to fly to and perch upon the one who regularly attends to their daily requirements ; while their extreme docility is a fact proven beyond a doubt. THE BRAZILIAN CARDINAL. The Brazilian Cardinal is one of the beautiful whistling birds of the tropics, and is justly admired as a cage-bird. The back is dark gray, the quill- feathers of the wings are of a darker shade of the same color, and the tail is nearly black ; the head, crest, cheeks, and throat are bright red of an orange hue, deepest on the chest, where it ends in a point ; the lower part of the body is grayish white, and the feet and legs are black ; the strong beak is dusky gray ; the crest is pointed like that of the Virginia nightingale, and is raised and depressed at pleasure. His brilliant scarlet head forms a beautiful contrast with the snowy white of his bod}^ In addition to his beautiful plumage, he is also gifted with powers of song. If fed upon unhulled rice and canary-seed, and given plenty of bathing water, he will live many years in confinement. 7* n THE JAVA SPARROW. The Java Sparrow takes his name from the Java Islands, where they abound in immense numbers. Their chief recommendation is the great neatness and beauty of plumage ; their glossy black head, with clear white cheeks, and delicate rose-colored bill, that looks like a piece of wax-work, and their light- slate or almost ashen-gray body, forming one of the richest combinations of colors ; the plumage being so neat and smooth that the feathers all seem to fit into each other ; and all appear covered with bloom 78 THE JAVA SPARROW. yc) like that upon plums. They are very affectionate birds, and happy in confinement ; and occasionally one is seen that can in reality be called a bird of song. They can be taught a variety of amusing tricks ; and, perhaps more than any other caged bird, will perform their tricks at command, with the seem- ing fear of a child. The pairs are much attached to each other, and are continually dressing each other's feathers. They are generally fed upon canary and millet seed, but in a wild state live chiefly on rice. At a bird exhibition at Crystal Palace, London, a few years since, a pair of Java sparrows were exhib- ited, entirely white, with the black head and throat and rose-colored beak of the gray Java sparrow, and with the plumage equally soft and downy ; and I was told that they were most beautiful birds. 80 THE MOCKING BIRD. TO THE MOCKING-BIRD. BY R. H. WILDE. Winged mimic of the woods ! thou motley fool ! Who shall thy gay buffoonery describe ? Thine ever-ready notes of ridicule Pursue thy fellows still with jest and jibe. Wit, sophist, songster, Yorick of thy tribe, Thou sportive satirist of Nature's school, To thee the palm of scoffing we ascribe, Arch-mocker and mad Abbot of misrule ! For such thou art by day ; but all night long Thou pourest a soft, sweet, pensive, solemn strain, As if thou didst in this thy moonlight song Like to the melancholy Jacques complain, — Musing on falsehood, folly, vice, and wrong, And sighing for thy motley coat again. THE MOCKING BIRD. The American Mocking-Bird. — This unrivalled songster, though he may not possess the melodious sweetness of the nightingale and lark, or the beau- tiful pipe of the blackbird, yet in himself he unites all the excellences to a greater extent than any other living bird. Who, on passing through the streets of any large city on a bright night in June, has not heard the shrill scream of the eagle, the mourning note of the turtle-dove, the- delicate warble of the blue-bird, the cackling of the domes- tic hen, followed by the quarrelling of a dozen or more grunalkins, each seeming to vie with the other as to the quantity of noise; then the cry of the 82 MOCKING-BIRD FOOD. katydid, the mellow whistle of the cardinal, the grunt of the maternal porker searching for her juveniles, the creaking of some rusty swing-sign- board, the pipe of the canary, and the cry of some lost puppy wailing in the midnight air, and each succeeding the other with such rapidity, that the listener wonders if such a variety can come from so small an object. All this the mocking-bird is capable of. The mocking-bird is a general favorite, and deserves to be attentively cared for. He is particular, and should be fed and watered at the same time every day. His cage should be large, and kept very clean, with plenty of gravel. His food should be Reiche's prepared Mocking-Bird Food. — All other mocking-bird foods are only worthless imita- tions of this, and, in many cases, have been found to be very injurious to the bird. It is in bottles all ready for use. In boxes, it will need the addition of grated carrot. The box food is the cheapest and best. A good way is to change every few weeks from one to the other. An addition of ants' eggs occasionally with their food (Chas. Reiche & Bro. are the only importers of them) is very beneficial ; a little sweet apple grated up with the food gives it a very fine flavor, and often restores the appetite when it seems quite poor. A Supply of Insects should be gathered during the proper season, such as flies, grasshoppers, spi- ders, &c., and put loosely in a paper bag, and hung up to dry ; and, when used in winter, they should MOCKING-BIRD FOOD. 83 have boiling water poured over them, which will soften them, and make them as palatable as if they were still alive. A grasshopper thus prepared is a Thanksgiving dinner to your bird. Zante currants, the same as used for cake, washed clean, soaked over night, and wiped dry, also make a dainty morsel. Meal-Worms give a bird a great deal of life, and, being the richest of food, should only be given occasionally, say six to ten worms in a month. Every owner of a soft-bill bird should raise a stock of meal-worms. The process is very simple, and con- sists in first taking an old box or jar, and placing therein a quantity of bran or meal, — in fact, any fari- naceous meal, — a few biscuit or part of a loaf of bread, a few pieces of leather from an old, worn-out boot or shoe, and some woollen rags ; place therein a few meal-worms, — say fifty, — and then cover the opening tightly with a thick cloth. If this cloth is moistened with water occasionally, they will breed faster ; and, if not disturbed, at the expiration of from four to six months, you will have thousands. MocKiNG-BiRDS HAVE DISEASES. — Should youf bird's feathers stand loosely all over, and he still seem healthful, give him cooling food only. Should your bird be dumpish and stupid, a few spiders will usually cure him. Should he refuse to eat, examine his tongue, and you probably will find on it a horny scale : this must be removed with great care, as, if allowed to remain, your bird will surely die. To remove this scale, hold the bird on his back