The Natural History of Cage Birds Part 7

MODE OF TAKING.--In the month of August, when a field has been observed which the bird frequents most, a small well-limed rod of about eight inches in length must be placed on a mole-hill, having two or three meal worms fastened to it by means of a thread about three inches long. As soon as the hoopoe sees the worms it darts upon them, and thus makes the lime twig fall upon itself, which embarra.s.ses it. But these birds, whether taken young or old, can very rarely be preserved.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Independently of its beauty, its droll actions are very amusing. For instance, it makes a continual motion with its head, tapping the floor with its beak, so that it seems as if it walks with a stick, at the same time shaking its crest, wings, and tail[25]. I have had several of them in my house, and have always been diverted by their singular grimaces. When any one looks at them steadily, they immediately begin their droll tricks.

The following is an extract from a letter written by M. von Schauroth on the hoopoe, which I think it is well to insert here:

"With great care and attention, I was able last summer to rear two young hoopoes, taken from a nest which was placed at the top of an oak tree. These little birds followed me everywhere, and when they heard me at a distance showed their joy by a particular chirping, jumped into the air, or as soon as I was seated climbed on my clothes, particularly when giving them their food from a pan of milk, the cream of which they swallowed greedily; they climbed higher and higher, till at last they perched on my shoulders, and sometimes on my head, caressing me very affectionately: notwithstanding this, I had only to speak a word to rid myself of their company, they would then immediately retire to the stove. Generally they would observe my eyes to discover what my temper might be, that they might act accordingly. I fed them like the nightingales, or with the universal paste, to which I sometimes added insects; they would never touch earth-worms, but were very fond of beetles and May-bugs, these they first killed, and then beat them with their beak into a kind of oblong ball; when this was done, they threw it into the air, that they might catch it and swallow it lengthways; if it fell across the throat they were obliged to begin again. Instead of bathing, they roll in the sand. I took them one day into a neighbouring field, that they might catch insects for themselves, and had then an opportunity of remarking their innate fear of birds of prey, and their instinct under it. As soon as they perceived a raven, or even a pigeon, they were on their bellies in the twinkling of an eye, their wings stretched out by the side of their head, so that the large quill feathers touched: they were thus surrounded by a sort of crown, formed by the feathers of the tail and wings, the head leaning on the back, with the beak pointing upwards; in this curious posture they might be taken for an old rag. As soon as the bird which frightened them was gone they jumped up immediately, uttering cries of joy. They were very fond of lying in the sun; they showed their content by repeating in a quivering tone, "_vec, vec, vec_;" when angry their notes are harsh, and the male, which is known by its colour being redder, cries "_hoop, hoop_." The female had the trick of dragging its food about the room, by this means it was covered with small feathers and other rubbish, which by degrees formed into an indigestible ball in its stomach, about the size of a nut, of which it died. The male lived through the winter; but not quitting the heated stove, its beak became so dry that the two parts separated, and remained more than an inch apart; thus it died miserably."

"I once saw," says Buffon, "one of these birds which had been taken in a net, and being then old, or at least adult, must have had natural habits: its attachment to the person who took care of it was very strong, and even exclusive. It appeared to be happy only when alone with her; if strangers came unexpectedly it raised its crest with surprise and fear, and hid itself on the top of a bed which was in the room. Sometimes it was bold enough to come from its asylum, but it fled directly to its beloved mistress, and seemed to see no one but her. It had two very different tones; one soft, as if from within, and seemed the very seat of sentiment, which it addressed to its mistress; the other sharp, and more piercing, which expressed anger and fear. It was never kept in a cage by day or night, and was permitted to range the house at pleasure: however, though the windows were often open, it never showed the least desire to escape, its wish for liberty not being so strong as its attachment.

"This pretty bird accidentally died of hunger. Its mistress had kept it for four months, feeding it only on bread and cheese."

THE CUCKOO.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Cuculus canorus, LINNaeUS; Le Coucou, BUFFON; Der gemeine Kukuk, BECHSTEIN.

Although it is not larger than the turtle-dove, its length is fourteen inches, but seven of these are included in the tail, three quarters of which are covered by the folded wings. The beak, black above, and bluish beneath; the feet have two claws before and two behind. The head, the top of the neck, and the rest of the upper part of the body are of a dark ash colour, changing like the throat of the pigeon on the back and wing-coverts.

In the female, which is smaller, the upper part of the body is of a dark brown, with dirty brown spots, which are scarcely visible. The under part of the neck is a mixture of ash grey and yellow, crossed with dark streaks. The belly is of a dirty white, with dark transverse lines.

HABITATION.--When wild, it is a bird of pa.s.sage, which arrives in April and departs in September, and even much sooner, according to an English observer.

In the house, it may be let run about, or confined in a large wooden cage.

FOOD.--When wild, it eats all sorts of insects, particularly caterpillars on trees.

When confined, it is fed with meat, insects, and the universal paste made of wheat-meal.

BREEDING AND PECULIARITIES.--Every one knows that the female cuckoo never sits upon her eggs, but intrusts that care to other birds, particularly those which feed on insects, laying one or two eggs in their nest.

In order to tame a cuckoo, it must be taken from the nest: I never tried myself, but several of my friends have. As this is a curious bird, and most bird-fanciers like to have it in their room or aviary, I shall here insert some observations on this subject, by M. von Schauroth, who was before quoted.

"The cuckoo possesses hardly any qualities which would render it fit to be a house bird: if old, it is too obstinate and voracious, generally it is furious, sullen, and melancholy. I have reared several; the last was taken from the nest of a yellowhammer: its eyes were not opened when I took it, yet it darted at me with fury.

Before I had had it six days it would swallow in a pa.s.sion everything that came near it. I fed it on bird's flesh, and was obliged to continue this food for a long time before it could feed itself. Its motions were so quick in jumping or moving that it would overthrow any cups of food which happened to be in its way. Its tail grew very slowly. It was never entirely tamed; it would dart at my hands and face, attacked every thing which came too near it, and even the other birds. It ate the poultry paste in great quant.i.ties, and discharged in proportion, which made it very dirty; I have even seen it, like the ostrich, eat its own excrements. Its short and climbing feet are so awkward that it cannot walk; it makes two or three jumps, but flies very well."

"Though cunning and solitary," says Buffon, "the cuckoos may be given some sort of education. Several persons of my acquaintance have reared and tamed them. They feed them on minced meat, either dressed or raw, insects, eggs, soaked bread, and fruit. One of these tamed cuckoos knew its master, came at his call, followed him to the chase, perched on his gun, and if it found a cherry tree in its way it would fly to it, and not return till it had eaten plentifully; sometimes it would not return to its master for the whole day, but followed him at a distance, flying from tree to tree. In the house it might range at will, and pa.s.sed the night on the roost. The excrement of this bird is white, and in great quant.i.ties; this is one of the disagreeables in rearing it. Great care must be taken to keep it from the cold from autumn till winter; this is the critical period for these birds, at least it was at this time that I lost all which I had tried to rear, besides many other birds of a different species."

THE MINOR GRAKLE.

Graccula religiosa, LINNaeUS; Mino ou Mainate, BUFFON; Der Mino oder Plauderer, BECHSTEIN.

This bird is the size of a blackbird, ten inches and a half long, of which the tail measures three, and the beak one and a half. The feathers on the side of the head are short, like velvet, but on the top, descending towards the back of the head, they are the general length; on both sides of the head there is naked skin, which begins under the eyes, and extends to the back of the head, but without uniting; its breadth is uneven, near the eyes it is wide and yellow, but when the bird is pleased or is angry this colour varies. Black is the predominant colour of the body, with some tints of purple, violet, or green, according to the different light it is in; the feathers of the tail have a white streak.

OBSERVATIONS.--The minor grakle is found in both the Indies, in Jamaica, as well as in the islands beyond the Ganges, as far as Java.

Their food is vegetable: those which are brought to Europe willingly eat cherries and raisins; if these be shown them without being given directly they begin to cry and weep like a child. They become exceedingly tame and confiding; they whistle exceedingly well, and chatter better than any parrot. The Chinese ladies are very fond of them; they are sold very dear in Java. In the inland parts of Germany nothing is so rare as one of these birds.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

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

LARGE BEAKED BIRDS.

The general characteristics of this group are, a beak large, but varying in size, very hollow, light, raised above, and hooked before; in the species immediately following, the legs are short, strong, and the feet formed for climbing; they are furnished with a tongue, thick, fleshy, and rounded like the human tongue, which renders articulation easy to them. All these birds are foreign, and ought to be reared from the nest when intended for speaking.

THE RED AND BLUE MACCAW.

Psittacus Macao, LINNaeUS; L'Ara Rouge, BUFFON; Der rothe Aras, BECHSTEIN.

The beauty of their plumage, and the facility with which they repeat words, are the two princ.i.p.al reasons for the introduction of parrots into parlours. Some imitate the songs of other birds and warble very sweetly. We have observed, that in order to speak distinctly the tongue must be thick, rounded, and the muscle loose enough to permit the requisite motion; hence it happens that parrots, above all those with a short tail, p.r.o.nounce so very distinctly. The ravens, jack-daws, and jays come next to them; but the starlings and blackbirds surpa.s.s them in the formation of the larynx.

The red and blue maccaw is one of the largest of the parrot tribe, being two feet eight inches in length. The hardest stones of the peach cannot resist the strength of its beak, the upper mandible of which is very much hooked. The claws are directed forward, and two backward. The naked cheeks are covered with a wrinkled whitish skin. The head, neck, breast, belly, thighs, top of the back, and the upper wing-coverts are of the finest vermilion. The lower part of the back and the rump are light blue. The scapulars and large wing-coverts are a mixture of blue, yellow, and green.

The colours sometimes vary, especially in the wings and tail, but the species will not be the less easily known on that account.

The female very much resembles the male.

HABITATION.--When wild it inhabits South America, and may be found in Brazil and Guiana, in damp woods, and always in pairs. In the house it may be let range at will, giving it a roost with several rings placed across. Like its fellows, it may be kept in a very large strong wire cage, high and wide enough to let it move with ease, and preserve its handsome tail in all its beauty.

FOOD.--In its native country the fruit of the palm tree is its princ.i.p.al food; our fruit it also likes, but white bread soaked in milk agrees with it better; biscuit does not hurt it; but meat, sweetmeats, and other niceties are very injurious; and though at first it does not appear to be injured, it becomes unhealthy, its feathers stand up separate, it pecks and tears them, above all those on the first joint of the pinion, and it even makes holes in different parts of its body. It drinks little--this is perhaps occasioned by its eating nothing dry. Many bird-fanciers say that the best food for parrots is simply the crumbs of white bread, well baked, without salt, soaked in water, and then slightly squeezed in the hand. But though this appears to agree with them pretty well, it is however certain that now and then something else ought to be added. I have observed, indeed, that parrots which are thus fed are very thin, have hardly strength to bear moulting, and sometimes even do not moult at all; in that case they become asthmatic, and die of consumption. It is clear that feeding them only on this food, which has very little if any moisture in it, is not sufficient to nourish them properly, at least during the moulting season, and while the feathers are growing again. I never saw a parrot in better health than one which belonged to a lady, who fed it on white bread soaked in boiled milk, having more milk than the bread would absorb, which the parrot drank with apparent pleasure; there was also put into the drawer of its cage some sea biscuit, or white bread soaked in boiling water; it was also given fruit when in season. It is necessary to be very careful that the milk is not sour.

Some young maccaws are fed on hemp-seed, which must always be of the year before, as the new would be too warm and dangerous. Yet they must not be fed entirely on this food, but there must be added white bread soaked in milk or water, as has already been mentioned, some fruit and nuts, but never bitter almonds, as they will infallibly kill all young animals. In all cases the excrements of the bird will indicate the state of its health, and whether the food ought to be changed or not.

Although maccaws rarely want to drink, as their food is very moist, yet they must not be left without water, which is generally placed in one of the divisions of their tin drawer. It is also a good thing to entice them to bathe, nothing is more favourable to their health, or better facilitates the painful operation of moulting, or keeps their feathers in better order. A little attention to these favourites, deprived of their liberty, their natural climate, and food, cannot be too much trouble to amiable persons who are fond of them, and to whom these pretty birds become greatly attached.

BREEDING.--The red and blue maccaws build their nests in the holes of old decayed trees; they enlarge and make the hole even with their beak, and line it with feathers. The female, like that of the other American parrots, breeds twice in the year, laying two eggs each time, which are exactly like those of the partridge. In Europe the females also lay well, but the eggs are generally unfruitful; when they are not so it is very difficult to make the mother sit; there are, however, a few examples of the female maccaw being so well inclined to perform this office, that she will sit on pigeons' and hens' eggs, which are hatched in due time.

The maccaws which we have in this country have generally been reared from the nest, particularly those which speak, for the old ones would be too savage and untractable, and would only stun one with their unbearable cries, the faithful interpreters of their different pa.s.sions.

DISEASES.--Amongst those to which maccaws are particularly subject, declines are the most frequent. Some cures for this are mentioned in the Introduction, which it would be well to employ. During the moulting season attention must be redoubled, not only to keep them in health but to preserve their beautiful plumage.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--As maccaws are very dear they are generally only found in the possession of rich bird-fanciers. In the centre of Germany one costs from fifty to a hundred rix dollars, and in the maritime cities thirty or forty. Their beautiful plumage forms their princ.i.p.al attraction. They also learn to repeat many words, to go and come, and also to obey the least signal from their master. I confess, however, that their awkward walk, their heavy movements, and their constant inclination to help themselves along with their beak, added to their great uncleanliness, does not appear very agreeable. They are sometimes very wicked, taking dislike to some people, and may do great injury to children if left alone with them. Owing to their dung being very liquid, abundant, and foetid, they must be cleaned regularly every day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AVIARY FOR DRAWING ROOM.]

THE BLUE AND YELLOW MACCAW.

Psittacus Ararauna, LINNaeUS; L'Ara Bleu; Der Blaue Aras, BECHSTEIN.

This species, which is about the size of the former, appears to me much more beautiful, though the colours of its plumage are not so striking.

Its beak is black, the feet dark grey; the cheeks flesh-coloured, streaked in the form of an S, with lines of short black feathers. The iris is light yellow; the throat ornamented with a black collar; the forehead, to the top of the head, the sides, and small wing-coverts are of a dark green; the rest of the upper part of the body is of a fine blue; all the colours are apt to vary.