The Natural History of Cage Birds Part 44

Rallus Crex, LINNaeUS; Le Rale de Cenet, ou Roi de Cailles, BUFFON; Der Wachtelkonig, BECHSTEIN.

The corn crake being always found with quails in proportionate numbers, departing with them in autumn, and returning at the same time in spring, no doubt deserves the name Buffon has given it of King of the Quails. It is ten inches in length. The beak is flattish, greyish brown above, and bluish red beneath; the feet are lead grey; the feathers of the head, of the back of the neck, of the back, and even of the tail, are black, edged with reddish grey; which gives them the appearance of being streaked; a grey ash-coloured streak pa.s.ses above the eyes, another below them; the wing-coverts and anterior quill-feathers are chestnut brown; the front of the neck and the breast are dusky ash-grey; the belly is white, but the sides and vent are dark brown, spotted with rusty brown and white.

The breast of the female is pale grey, and the streaks near her eyes greyish white.

OBSERVATIONS.--The male is often heard uttering his kind of croaking notes, "_arrp, schnarrp_," in the meadows and fields, in the evening and at night; but is rarely seen to fly. It feeds on insects and grain, for which bread soaked in milk may be subst.i.tuted, when it is in the house. The female lays from eight to twelve greenish grey eggs, streaked with pale brown, on the bare ground; the young ones, when hatched, are covered with a kind of black down, the feathers of varied colours do not appear for three weeks. The hen sits with so much constancy, that she will often perish by the sithe rather than quit her eggs. The young, like the young quails, run under the oat sheaves, and may easily be caught there by the hand.

The agility of these birds, and their pleasing habits, render them much admired in the house; they chirp very much like chickens. I confess I like very much to hear the "_arrp, schnarrp_" of the male in the evening near me.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SWAN.]

WEB-FOOTED BIRDS.

The birds arranged in this order are also known, under the name of aquatic birds. They are distinguished by their feet, the toes being united by a broad membrane, which a.s.sists them in swimming. Several live uniformly on the water, others in companies on the water and on the land. There are many that may be tamed, but I shall only speak of those that are able to live without being on the water. The number is thus confined to six species, easily tamed at any age.

THE SWAN.

Anas Olor, LINNaeUS; Le gigne, BUFFON; Der Schwan, BECHSTEIN.

Instead of the common name of tame swan, I prefer that of mute swan, in order to distinguish this from the whistling, also called the wild swan, but improperly, for in Russia it is more common to have that tamed than the one under notice. This, however, is found wild throughout most parts of Europe, and in great numbers in Siberia. In Germany, when a person wishes to have one on a piece of water, and to keep it there constantly, he chooses some young ones, and breaks or cuts the first bone in the wing, to disable them from flying, and consequently prevent their departing in the autumn with their wild companions.

The swan is larger than a domestic goose, it is four feet and a half in length, on account of its long neck, which it bends in the form of an S when it is swimming; it measures seven feet and a quarter from tip to tip of the wings, and weighs from twenty-five to thirty pounds. The beak is dark red, having at the base a large black callous k.n.o.b, and at the tip something resembling the head of a nail, black, and rather bent; a bare black triangular streak extends from the beak to the eyes; the feet are black the first year, lead grey the second, and reddish lead grey at last; the plumage is a snowy white.

OBSERVATIONS.--The story of its melodious death-song is now quite exploded; the organisation of its windpipe permits only a slight hiss, a dull murmur, and a gentle croaking. Song, properly so called, belongs exclusively to the whistling swan; a poet may have heard it once, and without observing the difference between the birds, have attributed it to the common swan. The latter feeds on insects and aquatic plants; during the winter corn should be given it, and it must be kept in a temperate place. The female forms a large nest, of the stalks of rushes, reeds, and other plants, and lines it with feathers from her breast. She lays six or eight greenish white eggs, and sits on them five weeks. During this time, the male is always near her, driving away and pursuing all that would approach. He has such strength of wing, that a well-aimed blow of it would break a man's leg. The young ones are at first grey. It is said that swans will live a hundred years. Their utility as well as their beauty would merit more attention than is commonly paid to their education, which is easier than that of geese. Lithuania, Poland, and eastern Prussia, send several quintals every year to the fair of Frankfort upon Oder. Many tame swans are also collected on the Sprey, round Berlin, Spandau, and Potsdam; particularly in May, to rob them of their down. The skins with the down on them are prepared for pelisses; powder puffs are also made of it.

THE SHELDRAKE.

Anas Tadorna, LINNaeUS; Le Tadorne, BUFFON; Der Bruntente, BECHSTEIN.

This species measures two feet from the tip of the beak to the extremity of the tail; the beak is smooth, flattish, and of a scarlet colour; a fleshy k.n.o.b covers the upper base; the nostrils and nail at the end of the beak are black; the feet are bluish red; the head and upper part of the neck are duck green; the rest of the neck and belly are white; a wide orange brown band crosses the breast; the back, with the wing-coverts, is white; the scapulars are speckled with black; the first quill-feathers are black, the following violet, the middle ones rusty brown, and the last white; the speculum is green, reflecting a beautiful violet; the feathers of the tail are white, tipped with black.

OBSERVATIONS.--This species, found in the north of Europe and Asia, hollows out the sand by the sea-sh.o.r.e, or uses a forsaken rabbit's hole, or some cavity in a rock, to form its nest in. The beauty of its plumage has attracted the attention of amateurs, who tame it, and keep it in the poultry-yard; but it is not useful, its flesh having an unpleasant smell and flavour. It feeds with the other ducks, and becomes very familiar; it ever appears intelligent.

THE WILD GOOSE.

Anas anser ferus, LINNaeUS; L'Oie sauvage, BUFFON; Der wilde Gans, BECHSTEIN.

This is the parent stock of our domestic goose, and though smaller, it has a longer neck and larger wings. The upper part of the body is brownish grey, the under part is greyish white; the breast is clouded with rusty brown; the beak is orange and black; the feet are red.

Several domestic geese preserve this original plumage, even to the colours of the beak.

OBSERVATIONS.--This species frequents the sh.o.r.es of the North Sea during the summer; but in autumn departs in large flights disposed in a triangular form, and pa.s.ses the winter in more southern countries, feeding on the blades of newly-sprung rye.

There are places in Thuringia where thousands of these birds collect in winter; they are very distrustful, placing sentinels as soon as they alight, which are so watchful, that it is very difficult to take or shoot them. If by chance the wing of one of these geese is shot, it may easily be kept in the yard with poultry; they are also taken in snares laid in places frequented by them during the night; they a.s.sociate without difficulty with the domestic geese; but I only know one instance of a wild male pairing with a domesticated female.

THE SCAUP DUCK.

Anas marila, LINNaeUS; Le Milloninan, BUFFON; Der Bergente, BECHSTEIN.

This species, like the former, pa.s.ses in autumn from the north to the south. They are caught and shot among the common wild ducks. The scaup duck may be tamed so far as to remain sociably among the domestic ones, will eat bread soaked in water, oats, and barley; in short, all that is given to common ducks. Its size also is similar, but it is black, with the belly and speculum white; five black transverse lines unite on the white ground of the upper part of the body; the wings and tail are dusky.

THE MALLARD.

Anas Boschas fera, LINNaeUS; Le Canoel sauvage, BUFFON; Der wilde Ente BECHSTEIN.

Our domestic ducks derive their origin from this species. It is spread throughout Europe on lakes, ponds, and rivers. Its length is two feet; its plumage ash grey, striped and waved transversely with white and brown; the head and neck are bright green, known by the name of duck-green; the breast is chestnut brown; the speculum violet green. The female is brown, like a lark.

OBSERVATIONS.--Like other birds of the same order, the wild ducks unite in large flights in the autumn, but divide into pairs in summer, and build their nests either near the water, among the reeds and bushes, in the trunks of old trees, or sometimes even in the depths of woods. They lay from twelve to sixteen eggs. In the forest districts of Thuringia, the young ones are met with in considerable numbers, being led to a neighbouring pond by the parent birds. If, after having mutilated or lamed the end of the wing, they are put into a pond with domestic ducks, they live and pair with them, become accustomed to their mode of life, follow them in winter into the house, without any decoy but being fed plentifully. Wild ducks are taken in nets, snares, and even with fishing-hooks.

By pairing a mallard with a female domestic duck, a very fine middle race is obtained, which remains domestic[125].

THE TARROCK.

Larus tridactylus, LINNaeUS; Larus rissa, cinereus et naevius, LINNaeUS; La Monette cendree, BUFFON; Der Wintermeeve, BECHSTEIN.

These birds, about fourteen inches in length, change their plumage till they are four years old, which occasions great variety. In the old ones, the beak is yellowish green on the outside, and orange within; the feet are olive, and are without the back toe; the head, throat, neck, the rest of the upper part of the body, and the tail, are white. There is often a blackish streak behind the ear; the back and wing-coverts are pale grey or bluish; the quill-feathers are white; the primaries are tipped with black; those that have a dark grey crescent on the neck have not attained their fourth year; those streaked are young ones.

OBSERVATIONS.--The tarrocks remain in the north of Europe during summer, and go south in winter. In February, when snow comes after mild weather, great numbers are seen to stop on the ponds and rivers in Germany, where many perish; they may then be taken with nets and snares placed on the banks, after removing the snow. Though their proper food is fish and aquatic insects, they are contented, in the poultry-yard, with bread and other food; are easily tamed, and live equally well on the water or the land; in winter, they should be kept in a moderately warm situation; they may even be left in the court, driving them in the evening into the place appropriated to them for the night.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See reasons for doubting this conclusion in Professor Rennie's DOMESTIC HABITS OF BIRDS, Chap. xvii.--TRANSLATOR.

[2] This previous recording, as it is termed, is not uniform. Mr. Blyth informs as that he had, in the year 1833, a blackcap which struck up all at once into a loud song.--TRANSLATOR.

[3] Phil. Trans. vol. lxiii. 1773.

[4] Besides, we cannot say that there is a want of variety in this music. I may again quote Mr. Barington (Phil. Trans.): "The death of the male parent, just at the time his instructions were required, will occasion some variety in the song of the young ones, who will thus have their attention directed to other birds, which they will imitate or modify according to the conformation of their larynx; and they will thus create new variations, which will afterwards be imitated by their young ones, and become hereditary, until a circ.u.mstance of a similar nature may introduce greater variations. If care was taken there need not be two birds that sung exactly alike: however, these varieties are confined within certain limits."--TRANSLATOR.

[5] If pine and fir branches cannot be obtained, oak, elm, or beech will do, cut in winter; though not green, yet there will be leaves.--TRANSLATOR.

[6] This perhaps depends on the peculiar forms of the bills more than on inclination, for the fauvette and blackcap often attempt to clean their feet without success.--TRANSLATOR.

[7] See Rennie's "FACULTIES OF BIRDS," Chap. V., for experiments on the subject.--TRANSLATOR.