Habitation.—In its wild state the roller may be found in Europe and the northern parts of Africa; it only frequents a few spots in Germany, and prefers forests and sandy plains to high mountains: elsewhere it is only seen during the time of its passage19.

In the house it may be let range at will after the wings are clipt.

Food.—When wild, its principal food is insects and worms; it also eats small frogs, bulbous roots, acorns, and grains of corn.

Breeding.—The nest, placed in the hole of a tree, is made of small twigs, hay, feathers, and bristles. It lays from four to seven white eggs, on which the male takes his turn to sit during eighteen or twenty days. The young ones do not acquire their fine colours till the second year; previous to this period the head, neck, and breast are of a whitish grey.

I had till lately thought that this bird was untamable; but Dr. Meyer of Offenbach has convinced me to the contrary, having himself reared them several times, and kept them in his room. This is his method:

The young ones must be taken from the nest when only half grown, and fed on little bits of cow’s heart, or any other meat which is lean and tender, till they can eat alone; small frogs, worms, and insects may then be added. The means which it takes to kill and swallow these insects are curious enough; it begins by seizing and crushing them with its beak, and then throws them into the air several times, in order to receive them in its throat, which is very capacious. When the piece is too large, or the insect still alive, it strikes it hard against the ground, and begins again to throw it in the air, till falling not across, but so as to thread the throat, it may be easily swallowed.

After having been fed thus long enough, a little barley-meal may be mixed with the meat. I have even brought it to eat bread, vegetables, and softened oatmeal, but it always prefers cow’s heart. I have never seen it drink.

It knows the person who takes care of it, comes at his call to eat from his hands, without however letting itself be caught: but it never becomes quite tame, and often defends itself with its beak. It makes very few movements unless to seek its food, and generally remains quite still in the same place. If it ever hops about the room it is in an awkward and cramped manner, on account of its short feet; on the other hand, it flies very well; but it must not be left completely at liberty in the room, or quite shut up in the cage, because it is so easily startled, and in its fright gives itself such violent blows on the head as would soon kill it. The best way is to clip one wing, and then let it range the room. These birds quarrel with one another, particularly in the evening, for their places on the perch. I have kept them for some time in a large aviary with small and great birds, and once with my pigeons which I kept shut up; generally I have them in my room, where they mix with several other birds: but whether alone or with companions they appeared equally healthy and active.

Attractive Qualities.—They have few other attractions besides their beautiful plumage, for their voice is only a harsh croaking “crag, crag, craag20.”

Habitation.—When wild, it generally frequents lonely groves, or the skirts of forests, always keeping among the most bushy trees, so that it is rarely seen on a naked branch; it always frequents orchards during the time of cherries. It is a bird of passage, departing in families in August, and not returning till the following May21.

In the house, if it cannot be let range at pleasure, it must be confined in a large wire cage.

Food.—When wild, its food is insects and berries. In confinement, and if an old one be caught by means of the owl, like the jays, it must be kept at first in a quiet and retired place, offering it fresh cherries, then adding by degrees ants’ eggs, and white bread soaked in milk, or the nightingale’s food. But I confess there is great difficulty in keeping it alive, for with every attention and the greatest care, I do not know a single instance of one of this species having been preserved for more than three or four months.

Breeding.—The scarcity of the golden oriole arises from its breeding but once a year. Its nest, hung with great art in the fork of a small bushy branch, is in shape like a purse, or a basket with two handles. The female lays four or five white eggs, marked with a few black streaks and spots. Before the first moulting, the young ones are like their mother, and mew like cats. If any one wishes to rear them they must be taken early from the nest; fed on ants’ eggs, chopped meat and white bread soaked in milk, varying these things as their health requires, and as their excrements are too frequent or too soft. In short, they may be accustomed to the nightingale’s food. I must here remark that a very attentive person alone can hope to succeed22.

Attractive Qualities.—I have seen two golden orioles that were reared from the nest, one of which, independent of the natural song, whistled a minuet, and the other imitated a flourish of trumpets. Its full and flute-like tones appeared to me extremely pleasing. Unfortunately the fine colours of its plumage were tarnished, which almost always happens, above all if the bird be kept in a room filled with smoke, either from the stove or from tobacco. One of my neighbours saw two golden orioles at Berlin, both of which whistled different airs.

Its note of call, which in the month of June so well distinguishes the golden oriole from other birds, may be well expressed by “ye, puhlo23.”

Habitation.—In its wild state, the hoopoe remains, during summer, in woods near meadows, and pasture land. In the month of August, after hay-harvest, it goes in flocks into the plains; it departs in September, and does not return till the end of the following April. It is more frequently seen on the ground than perching24.

In the house, it is not kept in a cage, but let range at will; it is very chilly, at least it is so fond of warmth that it is constantly on the stove, and would rather let its beak be dried up than come away from it.

Food.—When wild, it may be continually seen in fields, searching for its favourite insects among cow dung and the excrements of other animals. Some people put it into their granaries to clear them of weevils and spiders; this has succeeded very well, but to say that it also eats mice, is certainly an error.

In the house, it may be easily reared on meat, and white bread soaked in milk, to which meal worms must be added from time to time.

Breeding.—The hoopoe lays from two to four eggs; its nest, placed in the hole of some tree, is a mixture of cow dung and small roots. The young are easily reared on the flesh of young pigeons; but they cannot pick it up well, because their tongue, about the size of half a bean, and heart-shaped, is too short to turn the food into the throat. They are obliged to throw their food in the air, holding the beak open to receive it.

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 embarrasses 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 tail25. 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.”

Habitation.—When wild, it is a bird of passage, 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 passion 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 quantities, 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 passed the night on the roost. The excrement of this bird is white, and in great quantities; 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.”

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.

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 principal 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 passions.

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 principal 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 fœtid, they must be cleaned regularly every day.

Habitation.—Being, like the preceding one, a native of Surinam, Guiana, and Brazil, its way of living and qualities are much the same. It does not, however, learn to speak so easily, and cannot pronounce the word maccaw so distinctly; but it imitates perfectly the bleating of sheep, the mewing of cats, and the barking of dogs. Its custom of only drinking in the evening seems extraordinary.

Habitation.—This parrot is also a native of the hottest parts of South America, frequenting savannas, or any other open places, and building its nest even in the holes of the Termites (Termes fatalis, Linnæus.) These birds are so sociable that they may be seen in flocks of five or six hundred.

In the house, they must always be kept in pairs, and generally in cages. They show the tenderness of their attachment to each other by their continual caresses; this is in fact so great, that if one die the other soon languishes from grief.

Food.—When these birds go forth to steal chestnuts, acorns, peas, and similar fruits, which form their food, they always place a sentinel to warn them of the approach of an enemy: at the least alarm, they fly away, uttering loud cries. When confined, they are fed with nuts, and bread soaked in boiled milk.

Attractive Qualities.—Their handsome plumage, their affectionate and confiding ways, and the tenderness of attachment which these pretty birds have for each other, make them great favourites; but they learn scarcely any thing, and their continual cries are sometimes very annoying.

Observations.—A pair of this beautiful species were sold to his Highness the Duke of Meiningen as coming from Botany Bay, but they are really natives of Amboina. Timid and wild, this bird has a sharp whistle and a cry like “gaick,” but cannot speak. The feathers are so loose that they generally come off in the hand when touched; but they grow again very quickly. It is kept and treated like the others.

Observations.—I have seen several of this superb species, which belonged to his Highness the Duke of Meiningen. It is a great pity that they are so wild, timid, and difficult to teach. Their note is a kind of chirping, which is rarely heard. Their feathers are as loose as the preceding species. They come from Botany Bay, and are very dear. Being more delicate, they require more attention than the other parroquets.

Observations.—This bird is very docile, amiable, and talkative. Its mildness is very pleasing, and it is extremely affectionate and caressing. Its cry is “gaie, gaie, gaie.” It comes from the Islands of the Southern Ocean and Botany Bay.

Observations.—This parrakeet, so easily distinguished by its plumage, is lively, fearful, and its cry is frequent. It learns nothing of itself, and it is with great difficulty that it can be made to repeat a few words. I have seen it, with the preceding and following species, among the beautiful collection of birds belonging to his Highness the Duke of Meiningen.