The Natural History of Cage Birds Part 13

FOOD.--In its wild state its food is small fish, leeches, and, indeed, all aquatic worms and insects. In the house it must be given as much as possible the same, accustoming it by degrees to eat meat. It is very rarely that those taken when old can be preserved. I have seen one, however, which ate even dead fish. The meat and small fish for its food must be put into a bowl of fresh water, large enough, or so firmly fixed, that it may not be easily overturned. When taking its food it does not hop to the bottom of the cage, but stretches itself downwards till it can reach the water with its beak, at least if it be not a young one reared in the house.--It will not eat while being looked at.

MR. PAXTON'S METHOD OF MANAGEMENT.--"Having become possessed," says Mr. Paxton, "of some young kingfishers last summer, we were very anxious to rear them; this we have accomplished, and, to the best of our information, it is the first time kingfishers were ever reared by hand. To accomplish this object we had a wire cage constructed about ten feet long, and four broad; the back part of the cage was made to imitate, as nearly as possible, the banks of a river;--through this cage a small stream of water was conducted, in which the birds received their food, &c. When the young birds were first taken from the nest, minnows and bullheads were their princ.i.p.al food; they have since been fed on almost every species of fresh-water fish, although they evince a marked preference for trout.

"Immediately on a quant.i.ty of small fish being put into the stream of water, they commence killing them, regardless of who may be near; and so surely do they strike, that, although we have repeatedly observed them, we never yet saw them miss their prey. As soon as they have caught a fish they kill it, by knocking its head against anything that may be near them. The quant.i.ty of fish consumed by each bird is almost incredible--we should think on the average not less than six ounces a day each; they could not exist twenty-four hours without food, so they quickly digest it. There can be no doubt that the sole reason of the kingfisher migrating to the sea-side on the approach of severe weather, arises from the voracity of its appet.i.te.

"They are quite tame and domesticated, frequently sitting on the head or shoulder of the person who is in the habit of cleaning out their little dwelling. They are also very cleanly. We have observed them dive into the water as many as forty times incessantly, for the purpose of washing--this is generally done in the evening.

"Although they appear satisfied with their confinement, they are far from being friendly with each other; they fight with their wings, something after the manner of the swan; this is rather surprising, as they are very dexterous with their bills when seizing their prey.

"We have tried to rear others in a common cage, feeding them partly on flesh, but never succeeded."

BREEDING.--A hole at the edge of the water is the place in which it builds its nest, which is formed on the outside of small roots, and lined with feathers. Its eggs in general are eight in number, and quite white. In the young ones, before the feathers grow, the stubs are so long and straight that they might be taken for so many little bristles. As soon as the young can see clearly, and before the feathers begin to sprout, is the time to take them from the nest; they must be fed first on ants' eggs, meal worms, and other worms and afterwards accustomed by degrees to meat; they will be preserved in good health for a much longer time, if care be taken always to give them their food in fresh water, rather than let them pick it up from the ground.

MODE OF TAKING.--When the place which one of these birds frequents most, and which is generally near an eddy in the water, is well known, a stake must be fixed to which the snare, called a springe, can be fastened; by this means the bird may be easily taken.

Lime-twigs may also be put on a bush or stake near the water's edge, provided it does not hang so much over the water as to risk the bird's falling into it when fixed by the lime.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Its great attractions are its beauty, for it is not well proportioned, and all its motions are sudden.

THE NUTHATCH.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Sitta Europaea, LINNaeUS; La Sittele, ou le Torchepot, BUFFON; Der Nusshacker, BECHSTEIN.

The length of this bird is six inches and a half, of which one and a half is included in the tail, and three-quarters in the beak, which is strong, straight, a little flat at the tip; the eyes are greyish brown; the feet yellowish grey, the claws very strong. The forehead is blue only in the male; the rest of the upper part of the body is of a blue grey; the cheeks and throat are white; a black streak pa.s.sing across the eyes extends from the base of the beak to the neck; the belly and breast are of a dingy orange colour.

HABITATION.--When wild it generally frequents woods. In the winter it approaches villages, and will even fly into barns and stables.

In the house it must be kept in a cage made entirely of wire, as wood cannot resist the strength of its beak[28].

FOOD.--In its wild state it lives on insects, which it seeks for in the trees, being able to cling to and run about the branches in any way: it also eats nuts and beech mast, which it skilfully fixes in the c.h.i.n.ks of the trees, that it may crack them more easily.

In the house, it may be fed on hemp seed, oats, barley meal, or even bread. The way in which it crushes the hemp seed and oats is very curious; it takes as many as it can in its beak, and ranges them in order in the cracks of the floor, always taking care to put the large end lowest, that it may break them more easily; it then begins to despatch them one after another with the greatest skill and agility.

The lady who has been occasionally mentioned in the introduction, amused herself in the winter, and particularly when the snow was on the ground, with throwing, several times a day, different kinds of seeds on the terrace below the window, in order to feed the birds in the neighbourhood. These soon became accustomed to this distribution, and arrived in crowds when they heard the clapping of hands, which was the signal used to call them. She put some hemp seed and cracked nuts even on the window-sill, and on a board, particularly for her favourites, the blue t.i.ts. Two nuthatches came one day to have their share in this repast, and were so well pleased that they became quite familiar, and did not even go away in the following spring, to get their natural food and to build their nest in the wood. They settled themselves in the hollow of an old tree near the house; as soon as the two young ones, which they reared here, were able to fly, they brought them to the hospitable window where they were to be nourished, and soon after disappeared entirely. It was very amusing to see these two new visiters hang or climb on the wall or blinds, whilst their benefactress put their food on the board. These pretty creatures, as well as the t.i.ts, knew her so well, that when she drove away the sparrows which came to steal what was not intended for them, they did not fly away also, but seemed to know that what was done was only to protect and defend them.

These nuthatches remained near the house for the whole summer, rarely wandering, till one fatal day, at the beginning of the sporting season, in autumn, they no sooner heard the report of a gun than they disappeared, and were never again seen. It is possible that fear alone had driven them so far that they could not find their way home again; they did not know that there they would have been in greater safety.

If these birds are left at liberty in the room, they are accustomed, like the t.i.ts, to hide the greater part of what is given to them, to keep it for another meal; but their trick of piercing holes in the wood makes them inconvenient, and therefore it is better to keep them in a cage.

BREEDING.--The nuthatch builds its nest in the holes of old trees, and lays six or seven eggs spotted with red.

MODE OF TAKING.--As it has the same taste for hemp seed and oats as the t.i.ts, it may often be caught in the same snare; it may also be taken in the area or barn floor trap. Its call is "_gru, dek, dek_."

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Its plumage, liveliness, agility, and great cunning in catching and hiding its food, are its most agreeable qualities.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NUTHATCH CLAW.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: GOLDFINCH.]

Pa.s.sERINE BIRDS.

The birds of this group have the beak conical and pointed, in general rather strong, with both the mandibles moveable, and fit for peeling and cleaning grain. Their feet are slender, and their claws divided. Some of them do not confine themselves to grain, but also eat insects. Those which feed solely on seeds disgorge them into the crop of their young, the others simply put the food into their beaks. The greater part of them build their nests very skilfully. The females brood alone, or are very rarely a.s.sisted by the males in hatching.

This group and the following are peculiarly the real _cage birds_; those pretty and attractive little creatures which enliven our rooms with their songs.

Those which feed only on seeds may be tamed at any age.

THE CROSSBILL.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Loxia curvirostra, LINNaeUS; Le Beccroise, BUFFON; Der Kreuzschnabel, BECHSTEIN.

The length of this bird is nearly seven inches, of which the tail measures two and a quarter. The beak, which is one inch in length, and very thick, has its two mandibles curving in opposite directions, and crossing each other at the points, whence the name. It is no fixed rule for the upper mandible to cross to the right or left, but its direction appears to be acquired when young. The shanks, which are eight lines high, and the beak, are brown; the iris is nut-coloured.

The change of colour, which some a.s.sert this bird is subject to three times a year, simply occurs as follows:--

The young male, which is at first of a greyish brown, with a little yellow, becomes after moulting entirely red, darker on the upper part of the body than on the lower, the quill and tail feathers excepted, which are blackish. This generally happens in April or May. At the second moulting this red colour becomes a greenish yellow, which is permanent; so that when red they may be known to be the young male birds, and when yellow the old ones.

The females are in general grey, with a little green on the head, breast, and rump, or irregularly speckled with those two colours.

From observations which have been made with great care and exactness, and which any one can repeat who wishes, it appears proved that an old male bird never changes its colour. In order to be exact as to these facts, it is necessary to observe the bird from the time of its leaving the nest; for, if one were to judge from those taken in a snare, one would certainly be disposed to think that not one bird resembled another: but all this variety depends on the different stages in moulting, which so very much affects the colours of the plumage.

Thus, in old male birds the forehead, cheeks, and eyebrows are spotted with grey, greenish yellow, and white. Wherever green and yellow are prevalent, the dark grey shows through, and has the appearance of spots on those parts, particularly on the back, for the tips alone are green and yellow.

The result of all this is, that when grey or speckled crossbills are spoken of, they are the young ones; when red, they have pa.s.sed their first moulting; when crimson, they are near their second; and when spotted, red and yellow, they are two years old, and in full feather. To judge with exactness, these birds ought to be seen at the time of laying, but neither this nor the moulting has any fixed season; and this circ.u.mstance sufficiently explains the great variety and difference of colour which are found among this species.

These details also show that the crossbill is subject to nearly the same changes of colour as the linnet, and that the red colour which it bears for the first year is what peculiarly distinguishes it from other birds.

One thing, which is rather remarkable, is, that the young ones reared in the house never take the red colour, but remain grey for the second year, or change directly into greenish yellow.

There are two kinds of crossbills, the greater and lesser; but the difference is not so great as some pretend, and nature is not more invariable in the size of birds than it is in that of men[29].

HABITATION.--When wild, the crossbill not only inhabits Europe, but also all the north of Asia and America, everywhere frequenting forests of pines and firs, where these trees, which are loaded with cones, furnish abundance of food.

In the house it may be let range at will, but a branch of fir, or any other tree, must be put near it, on which it can perch or sleep. If it be kept in a cage it must be made of wire; for, being so much disposed to peck and nibble, a wicker cage would soon be reduced to chips.

FOOD.--In its wild state the pine seed is its favourite food; the shape of its beak is peculiarly adapted for procuring these seeds, by separating the scales of the cones; it also gathers from the ground those which have fallen, and it does not neglect those of the fir, and even of the alder. When these fail it is contented with the buds of the same trees.

In the house, if it be let run about at liberty, the second universal paste will be sufficient; but if kept in a cage it must be fed on hemp, pine, and rape seed, and even elderberries.

BREEDING.--The time of breeding is very remarkable, being generally in the depth of winter, from December to April. The nest, which is placed at the top of a pine or fir tree, is first formed of very fine small twigs, there is then a layer of coa.r.s.e moss, but the interior is lined with the finest and softest moss; it is not glued with resin, as some have said. The young crossbills being in Thuringia the object of many ridiculous superst.i.tions, the wood-cutters are always careful of the nests. The number of the eggs varies from three to five, they are of a greyish white, spotted, speckled, and streaked at the large end with red brown. The heating nature of their food enables the young and old birds to bear the severity of the season.

The old birds feed their young with the food disgorged from their own stomach, as do all the grosbeaks. This species may be reared in the house on white bread soaked in milk, and mixed with a few poppy-seeds.