The Natural History of Cage Birds Part 23

HABITATION.--In its wild state it is found throughout Europe; it is very common in Germany, where it remains all the year[49], but in winter it wanders about in search of food, and most frequents the parts well planted with alders. In the house, whether in a cage or not, it soon becomes very familiar.

FOOD.--When wild it varies according to the season; in summer it eats in the woods the seeds of the pine and fir; in autumn, of hops, thistles, burdock; in winter, of the alder and the buds of trees.

In the house its food is poppy-seed and a little hemp-seed bruised.

If allowed to range, the first universal paste suits it. It is a complete glutton, and, though so small, eats more than the chaffinch; it is at the seed drawer from morning till night, constantly eating, and driving off all its companions. It does not drink less, and requires abundance of fresh water; yet it bathes but little, only plunging the beak in the water, and thus scattering it over its feathers, but it is very a.s.siduous in arranging them; it may be called a fop, always engaged with finery.

BREEDING.--The siskin rarely builds its nest among the alders, but generally in the pine forests, placing it at the extremity of the highest branches, and fixing it there with cobwebs, the threads of insects and lichens. The outer part is well formed of small twigs, and the lining is formed of finely divided roots. It has two broods in the year, each of five or six eggs, of a light grey, strongly spotted with purplish brown, particularly at the large end. The young males become finer each year till the fourth.

The mules, produced by the siskin pairing with the canary, partake of the two species, and are very prettily spotted if the canary is yellow; but this union is not so easy as that with the green canary, which appears to bear a nearer relation to the siskin.

DISEASES.--To the other maladies common to the birds of this family we must add epilepsy, of which these birds often die[50]. They may, however, be kept from eight to twelve years.

MODE OF TAKING.--With good traps and nets made for this purpose, several dozen of these birds may be taken at once in the winter. They also collect in numbers, in the spring, on the decoy bush, and they are so fearless, that in the villages a person, who has his house situated near a stream bordered with alders, need only place a siskin in the window, near a stick covered with bird-lime, and he may catch as many as he wishes. I have caught some at my window in a cage strewed with hemp and poppy-seed, by letting the door fall by means of a string, when the birds had entered, one of the decoy birds in my room serving to attract them. When the place where they drink at noon is discovered amongst the alders, numbers may be caught by merely laying across the stream some branches covered with bird-lime.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Their plumage and song are both attractive, though with the latter several tones are mingled, that somewhat resemble the noise made by a stocking-loom. This makes them great favourites with stocking-weavers. They imitate tolerably the song of other birds, such as that of the t.i.t, the chaffinch, and the lark; but they cannot give a musical air. Their carolling is only interrupted during moulting, and very much tends to excite their companions to warble in their turn. The loss of their liberty affects them so little, that they will eat as soon as let out of the hand, after being caught, and on the second day will allow any one to approach their cage without alarm. They are soon taught to draw up little buckets, and many other little manoeuvres that they execute gaily; there is no difficulty in accustoming them to go and return if the winter is chosen; the cage should be kept open at the window, and hemp and poppy-seed scattered at the entrance; they will return there in general, and bring several companions with them. This plan will not succeed so well in March, September, and October, the time when these birds roam through the country in search of food, though I have seen some tamed in this manner return after a long absence.

THE RING SPARROW.

Fringilla petronia, LINNaeUS; La Soulci, BUFFON; Der Graufink, BECHSTEIN.

Independently of the beak, this bird may be taken for a female yellowhammer, as it resembles it so much in its shape and plumage. Its length is five inches three-quarters, of which the tail measures two.

The beak, five lines long, is thick at the base, grey brown above, and white below. The feet, ten lines high, are grey brown; the whole head is of a reddish ash-colour, but a dirty white ring surrounds it from one eye to the other.

The female is greyer on the upper part of the body, and the front of the neck is only pale yellow.

OBSERVATIONS.--Ring sparrows are found in most European forests, or woods; they are common enough in several parts of Germany[51], those that inhabit the northern parts removing in winter; but the others are stationary.

They live on seeds and insects like the house sparrow, and make their nests in hollows of trees. In the house they are fed on rape and poppy-seeds; they also readily eat the first universal paste. They are less prized for their warbling, which is insignificant, than for their beauty or rarity.

THE SERIN FINCH.

Fringilla serinus, LINNaeUS; Le Serin vert, ou le Cini, BUFFON; Der Girlitz, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is smaller than the siskin, its length not exceeding four inches and a quarter, of which the tail measures one inch and a third.

The beak is short and thick, brown above and white below; the iris is dark chestnut. The shanks are six lines high, and are of a flesh colour.

The plumage of the male very much resembles that of the grey canary; the front of the head, the circle round the eyes, a kind of collar, the breast and belly, are pale jonquil-coloured, mixed with a little green; the nape of the neck, the cheeks, the temples, and lesser wing-coverts, are of a canary green, mingled with rust colour and black.

The spots scattered over the plumage are not isolated, but united to each other by an undulating line; they are so small on the head, that it is only speckled.

It is necessary to examine the female very closely to distinguish it from the siskin, for, with the exception of a reddish grey tint, the colours are the same; but its beak is shorter, its tail longer, and its shape freer.

From my latest observations this bird appears to be the same as the citril finch; comparing them together in cabinets has confirmed my opinion; but that which has decided me is the testimony of my friend, Dr. Meyer, of Offenbach, who has often seen and even fed in his house several of these birds. From him I derive the rest of this article.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SERIN FINCH.]

HABITATION.--It is not more than ten years since the serin was observed between Frankfort and Offenbach. They arrive every year in large flights, during March, and depart in October; but there are always some that remain all the winter. Several were taken in January, 1800, when the thermometer was at twenty-one degrees Reaumur, and I myself have seen some near Offenbach at the end of February. They appear to prefer fruit trees, yet in woods they also appear attached to beech and oak trees; but I have never met with them by the sides of rivers or streams planted with willows.

FOOD.--They feed on all the small seeds found in fields and orchards, particularly groundsel, plantain, garden pimpernel, and others of the same kind.

In the house, rape, mixed with a little poppy seed, agrees very well with them; a few grains of hemp seed and husked oats may be added from time to time.

BREEDING.--Their nest is generally placed on the lower branches of apple and pear trees, sometimes on beeches and oaks, but never on willows by the water-side. It is constructed of fine and divided roots, mosses, lichens, princ.i.p.ally of those which are farinaceous, the whole being entwined with great nicety, and lined with a thick bed of feathers, horse-hair, and pigs' bristles. They lay three or four, rarely five, eggs of the form of, but rather smaller than, those of the canary; white, but having at the large end a circle of spots and dots of a bright reddish brown. The hen sits on the eggs thirteen or fourteen days, during which time the male feeds her. He also helps to feed the young ones, which is done by disgorging the food; the young perfectly resemble the grey linnet; they may be reared easily on soaked rape seed; but it is best to take the parent birds, and place them in the cage with their little ones, which they will continue to feed. The young birds remain grey till after moulting, they then attain their full plumage, as described before, but are never so beautiful in the house as in their wild state. After being kept a few years in a cage, the yellow in those taken full grown becomes pale, and fades at length to nearly white. This bird will pair with the canary, siskin, linnet, or goldfinch.

MODE OF TAKING.--These birds are easily taken in the area, or barn-floor trap, on a decoy bush, and with lime twigs placed near the stalks of plantain.

DISEASES.--With the exception of consumption, of which one I had died, I know of no disease they are subject to.

OBSERVATIONS.--Of all house birds, these are the most sprightly and indefatigable songsters. Their voice is not strong, but it is very melodious. The song, with the exception of a few pa.s.sages, is like the lark's, and might be mistaken for the canary's. In their wild state they sing incessantly, either perched on the outer branches of a tree, or whilst rising in the air, and gently sinking again to their former situation, or whilst flying from tree to tree. Their call resembles that of the canary, and their habits are also similar to that species.

They are of a very affectionate character; when allowed to range the room with siskins, linnets, and similar birds, they will caress all with the beak, but seem to prefer the company of the goldfinch, whose tones they will imitate, and improve their warbling by it. They are indeed very attractive birds.

THE CITRIL FINCH.

Fringilla citrinella, LINNaeUS; Le Venturon, BUFFON; Der Citronenfink, BECHSTEIN.

This bird very nearly resembles the canary in its colour, shape, song, and habits; but it is smaller and its notes weaker. Its resemblance, however, is so marked, that I should be inclined to suppose it the primitive wild stock, if the canary had not its representative in those islands from which it takes its name. The length of the citril finch is five inches, of which the tail measures two. The beak is short, the feet flesh-coloured, the plumage on the upper part of the body yellowish green, streaked with brown; the under part of the rump greenish yellow; the princ.i.p.al tint on the breast yellow.

The female is less spotted, and the general shade of colour is lighter.

OBSERVATIONS.--This species, inhabiting the south of Europe, occasionally strays into the southern parts of Germany[52], and the sweetness of their song makes them much sought after. They should be treated in the same manner as canaries.

THE LAPLAND FINCH.

Fringilla Laponica, LINNaeUS; Le Grand Montain, BUFFON; Der Lerchenfink, BECHSTEIN.

This would be mistaken for a lark at first sight, as much from its plumage as from the length of its spur. We should also see them much oftener in Germany if the bird-catchers, who catch them in their lark's nests, did not take or kill them both indifferently. Their decoys are the same as the buntings (_Emberizae_, Linn.), for though we cannot observe them much whilst alive, we cannot be deceived as to their pairing with finches (_Fringillae_, Linn.) buntings and larks. They are about the size of the yellowhammer, six inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two. The beak is yellow, with a black tip; the feet dark brown; the head blackish, spotted with reddish white, sometimes quite black; a white line pa.s.ses from the base of the bill above the eyes, down each side of the neck, curving towards the breast; the upper part of the body is red, with brown spots; the throat and breast are pale red; some males are black in the middle of the lower part.

The female is paler in its colours; its breast is spotted with grey and black; in fact its plumage resembles the field lark's.

OBSERVATIONS.--This bird is always found in the north, both in the old and new world, and goes towards the south in winter. It is met with by us on its arrival with the larks, and on its return with the snow bunting, but it is oftenest taken with larks. Its call is a kind of shrill whistle, and its song is very similar to the linnet's; the female also warbles, but only in the bullfinch's style. It ranges the room like the lark, and if in a cage hops about its perches like the chaffinch. It is fed on rape, hemp, and poppy seed, which appear to agree with it very well. It may be fed at less expense on the first universal paste, as it also likes meal worms. I think that in its wild state it lives, like the chaffinch, on seeds and insects.

THE SNOW FINCH.

Fringilla nivalis, LINNaeUS; Le Niverole, ou Pinson de neige, BUFFON; Der Schneefin, BECHSTEIN.

The name has been given it as much from its being found on high mountains and the colour of its plumage, as for its resemblance to the snow bunting. Its total length is seven inches and a quarter, of which the tail measures two and a half; the beak six lines long, very pointed, but thick at the base, and of a glossy black; the feet ten lines high, dark chestnut colour: its plumage is pretty; the top of the head, cheeks, temples, nape, back, and sides of the neck are dark ash-coloured.

The female only differs from the male in the grey of the head having a reddish tint, and the whole of the under part of the body, being white; the breast has also a dirtier shade, and the sides are spotted with black.

OBSERVATIONS.--The snow finch inhabits the southern Alps, but is found as far north as the middle of Germany. I have even seen them in Thuringia, in company with the mountain finch; it is a sprightly bird, and very fearless in a cage. It may be fed on rape, millet, and hemp seed; but it appears to prefer the seed of the fir and nettle hemp (_Galeopsis cannabina_): one would think that in its wild state it also fed on insects, as it readily takes meal worms when offered them. Its call is "_kipp, kipp_." It sings a great deal, but its song is not more agreeable than the mountain finch's, to which it appears allied, and like that is only kept in the house for its beauty and rarity.

THE CANARY.