Observations.—This bird is found in all the northern regions of Europe, Asia, and America, and in Europe rarely passes the fifty-third degree of latitude. It frequents the pine and fir forests, the seeds of which form its food; in winter it quits these places in search of berries; this is what ranks it among the erratic birds. They are so stupid, that in the north they are easily caught with a circle of brass wire fixed to the end of a long pole, to which are fastened some horse-hair rings, which are simply passed over the head of the bird. They are often caught and kept in cages, as they are liked, both on account of the ease with which they are tamed, and of their song, which is very agreeable; they will even sometimes sing in the night, and always preserve their song through the whole year, while the wild only sing in the spring.
Loxia coccothraustes, Linnæus; Le Grosbec, Buffon; Der gemeine Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
One must be a very great bird fancier to wish to have this bird in the house. Its length is seven inches, of which the tail measures two inches and a third. The beak, which is very thick in proportion to the rest of the body, is like a large blunt cone, dark blue in summer, and flesh-coloured, with the tip black, in winter; the slim feet are nine lines in height, and of a pale crimson; the yellowish brown of the forehead unites with the light chestnut on the top of the head and cheeks; the circle of the head is black, and forms, under the chin, a large square spot; the nape of the neck and upper part of the back are of a fine ash-grey, the lower part is of a dark brown, with some shades of grey on the rump.
BREEDING CAGE.
In the females, the cheeks, head, and upper tail coverts are of a greyish chestnut colour; the throat, wings, and tail rather brown than black, the spot on the wings greyish, the under part of the body reddish grey, shading to white on the belly.
Habitation.—When wild, it may be found in all the temperate parts of Europe and Russia. It is very common among the mountainous countries of Germany, where the beech prevails in the forests. It is rather an erratic bird than a bird of passage, and its excursions are ended in March. Sonnini says, however, that he has seen it during winter, in Egypt, with the blackbirds and thrushes, and its excursions are ended in March.
In the house it is generally kept in a large wire cage, where it is soon tamed. It may also be let run about, provided it has not too many companions, and that it has food in abundance, for it is a very quarrelsome bird.
Food.—In its wild state it eats many different things; the fruit of the beech, elm, ash, and maple; the berries of the juniper, service-tree, and white-thorn; cherries and plums, the stones of which it breaks with the greatest ease, to eat the kernel; hemp seed, cabbage, radish, and lettuce seed also form a part of its food.
In the house, if confined in the cage, it is contented with rape and hemp-seed; and if it run about, with the second universal paste.
Breeding.—Its nest is well built; the eggs, from three to five in number, are greenish grey, spotted with brown, and streaked with blackish blue. The young, when reared from the nest, will become so tame as to eat from the hand, and will courageously defend itself with its beak against the dogs and cats; it may also be accustomed to go and come.
Mode of Taking.—The haste with which these birds come on hearing the call, makes it very easy to catch them in the net, by throwing berries or hemp seed on the trap. In autumn and winter they may be taken by the noose, with service-berries; in spring they may be caught by placing lime twigs on the nest. The loss of their liberty does not prevent their eating immediately rape or hemp seed.
Attractive Qualities.—I confess that it has very few; its song is less agreeable than any of the others', it is a kind of low whistling, mixed with some harsh tones; but its great tameness may please; it is necessary, however, to guard one’s self from its beak.
Loxia cardinalis, Linnæus; Cardinal huppé, ou Rossignol de Virginie, Buffon; Der Cardinal Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
The length of this bird is eight inches, of which the tail measures three. Its beak is strong and light red, like its feet; the iris is dark brown; the head is ornamented with a tuft, which, when raised, is pointed; the throat and the part round the beak are black; the rest of the body is of a beautiful bright red; the pen and tail-feathers are less brilliant, and brown on the anterior part.
The female is in general of a reddish brown.
Observations.—The beautiful song of this grosbeak is so like that of the nightingale, that this name has been given it; but its voice is so strong that it pierces the ears. It sings through the whole year, except during the time of moulting.
In its wild state, its principal food is the seed of the Indian corn and buck-wheat; it collects a considerable quantity of this food, which it skilfully covers with leaves and twigs, only leaving a very small hole, as the entrance to this magazine. In the cage it is fed with millet, rape seed, hemp seed, and the like, which agree with it very well.
Some persons have endeavoured to make it breed in large aviaries in the middle of gardens, but I do not know that it has ever succeeded. In Germany it is very dear, being as much as six or eight pounds sterling for a pair.
Loxia orycivora, Linnæus; Le Padda, ou Oiseau de Riz, Buffon; Der Reiskernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is about the size of a bullfinch, and five inches in length, of which the tail measures two. The beak is thick, and of a fine rose colour; the feet are paler; the eyelids naked, and edged with rose colour; the head, throat, and streak which surrounds the cheeks, are black; the cheeks are white; the rump, tail, and greater pen-feathers are black, but all the rest of the upper part of the body, the wing-coverts, hinder pen-feathers, and breast, are of a dark grey; the belly purple grey; the lower tail-coverts white. “The whole plumage,” says Buffon, “is so well arranged, that no one feather passes another, and they all appear downy, or rather covered with that kind of bloom which you see on plums; this gives them a very beautiful tint.”
In the female the colours are rather lighter on the back and belly: the young are not only paler, but also irregularly spotted with dark brown on the cheeks and lower part of the belly.
Observations.—There are few vessels coming from Java and the Cape of Good Hope that do not bring numbers of these birds, which have as bad a character in those countries, and particularly in China, their native place, as the sparrows have amongst us, on account of the ravages they make in the rice fields. They have nothing attractive but their beauty, for their song is short and monotonous. They cost four or five pounds sterling a pair in Germany.
Loxia Astrild, Linnæus; Le Sénégali rayé, Buffon; Der Gemeine Senegalist, Bechstein.
This bird is hardly larger than a golden-crested wren, its length being four inches and a half, of which the tail measures two inches; the beak is rather rough at the base, and of a dark red; the band which crosses the eyes, the centre of the breast and belly, are red; the upper part of the body is brown, and the lower reddish grey, the whole streaked with transverse blackish lines, which become finer as they approach the head; the quill-feathers are brown, as well as the tail, which is wedge-shaped, and streaked with darker transverse lines; the feet are brown. These birds change colour like the amandava finch; thus some are found with the tail entirely brown, others which have the rump crimson, and the rest of the body brown above and white below, and some have the belly yellow, and the back spotted with white; there are some, indeed, which have the neck and throat bluish, the under part of the body white, mixed with iron colour, and the upper part blue.
Observations.—They inhabit the Canary Islands, Senegal, Angola, the Cape of Good Hope, and may even be found as far as India, whence they are brought to Europe. Their beautiful shape, their amiable disposition, and the affection which they show to every one indiscriminately, render them such favourites, that a dozen may be often seen in one cage. Their song is scarcely any thing. They are fed on millet, which also forms their food in their native country, to the damage of the fields which are sown with it. They approach villages like our sparrows; they are caught in traps made of the shell of a gourd, and cut like a bowl, on which some millet is scattered.
Fringilla amandava, Linnæus; Le Bengali Piqueté, Buffon; Der Getiegerte Bengalist, Bechstein.
This beautiful little bird, which is brought to Europe in great numbers from Bengal, Java, Malacca, and other tropical countries of Asia, is only four inches long, of which the tail measures one and a third. Most ornithologists class it with the sparrows, but it seems to me that it belongs rather to the grosbeaks. Its beak is short and thick, being only four lines in length, and the diameter at the base measuring three. Its colour is deep bright red; the iris is also red; the feet are six lines in height, and of a pale flesh-colour; in the male the head and under part of the body are of a fiery red, the upper part of a dark grey, but the feathers have a broad red edge, so that this colour seems to prevail; thus the edge of the feathers on the rump make it appear of a brilliant orange, though, like the belly, it is properly black; the feathers of the back, tail, sides of the breast and belly, the wing-coverts, hinder quill-feathers, and both tail-coverts, are terminated at the tip with shining white spots, which are largest on the hinder quill-feathers, and larger wing-coverts, the colour of which is otherwise black.
The female is one third smaller than the male; part of the upper mandible is black; the head and upper part of the body, including the wing-coverts, are of a dark ash-colour; the feathers on the rump have only an orange edge, with a light tip; the cheeks are of a light grey; the under part of the body is pale sulphur, the pen-feathers blackish; the greater and lesser wing-coverts are finely speckled with white; the tips of the tail-feathers are greyish white.
The male varies in its colours for several years before it permanently acquires those above described: it may be seen with the back grey, slightly tinted with red, the belly black, speckled with yellow; others with the back reddish grey, spotted with bright red, and the belly of a sulphur yellow, with black rings, and more or less speckled, &c.
Observations.—These birds are as sociable as the waxbills; if there should be twenty or thirty in the same cage, they perch close against one another on the same perch; and, what is more singular, they never sing together, but one after another, the rest keeping quite silent to listen to the songster. Their song resembles that of the hay bird, and continues through the winter. The females do not sing; those are wrong who think the contrary. They are very active, often bowing and spreading their tail like a fan. In their native country their food consists of different seeds, particularly millet; this is also given it in the cage, as well as canary seed. They eat and drink a great deal. They will live from six to ten years.
Loxia erythrocephala, Linnæus; Le Cardinal d’dngola, Buffon; Der Paridiese-Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This species is about six inches long; the beak and feet are flesh-coloured, the head and chin red; the upper part of the neck, the back, rump, and wing-coverts, bluish grey; the upper tail-coverts are edged with grey; the under part of the body white, with dark brown spots on the sides; the wing-coverts white at the tip, which forms two transverse streaks on the wings; the pen and tail-feathers are of a dark grey, with lighter tips. The female does not differ from the male.
Observations.—The male sings through the whole year, but its voice is so weak that the least noise overpowers it. In England this species has been made to breed in an aviary. Its food is millet and rape seed, and sometimes a little hemp seed.
Loxia sanguinirostris, Linnæus; Le Becsanguin, Buffon; Der Rothschäbliger Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This pretty little bird is three inches and a half long, of which the tail measures one inch, and the beak four lines. The feet are nine lines in height, the middle claw measures five lines and the side ones four. The beak is strong, rather naked at the forehead, and of a dark blood red; the feet are of a very red colour, the claws black; the eyelids red, and irides orange; the circle of the beak, including the forehead, eyes, and chin, is black; the top of the head rust-colour, more or less approaching to red, scattered with blackish spots, formed by the black of the feathers; the under part of the body of a brownish red, clouded with white, and lighter on the sides and the lower part of the belly, the whole spotted with black in the young birds, but with no spots in the old ones.
The female is altogether lighter, and has no black on the head, but two dark grey streaks above and under the eyes; the under part of the body is only reddish grey.
Observations.—This species is found on the coasts of Africa, in Bengal, and other parts of Asia. It is a very agreeable bird, and though its voice is weak its song is only the more melodious. A male and female put together in a cage seem to be taken up with their mutual affection, always feeding and caressing each other. They are fed on crushed canary and hemp seed, which preserves them in good health for several years. The room in which they are kept must be heated during winter.
Loxia Dominicana, Linnæus; Le Paroare, Buffon; Der Dominicaner Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is about the size of a lark. The upper part of the beak is brown, and the lower light flesh-colour; the feet are grey; the front of the head, the throat, and part of the neck red; the back of the head is blackish, with a slight mixture of white.
Observations.—This bird comes from Brazil, and possesses nothing attractive but its beauty. Its song is merely an occasional call. In Germany it costs three pounds sterling.
Loxia orix, Linnæus; Le Cardinal du Cap de Bonne Espérance, Buffon; Der Grenadier Kernbeisser, oder Feuervogel, Bechstein.
This bird is about the size of a sparrow. The beak is black; iris chestnut; feet dark flesh-colour; forehead, sides of the head, chin, lower part of the breast and belly blackish; the throat, top of the head and breast, rump, vent, and tail are of a fiery red, or brilliant carmine, and soft, like velvet.
Varieties.—1. A black spot on the chin; thighs red.
2. Tail dark brown, with a greyish white border.
In the female the beak is raven black, the upper part of the body dark brown, with light grey edges to the feathers; the head dark grey, with a whitish streak which passes above the eyes; the under part of the body light grey. From this it seems to be very like the house sparrow; its plumage is, however, altogether lighter.
The male takes these colours, in the house, at the second moulting, but the streaks are darker, the feathers of the upper part of the body being blackish, with broad borders of reddish grey; the streak above the eyes is of a pale sulphur. When wild, the males, immediately after pairing, which is in January, lose their red feathers, and become like the females, but have them again in July, about the time of the second breeding season. They are pretty whilst moulting, when the head and body are speckled, the tail and neck still remaining red.
Observations.—These birds, which are very numerous in all the colonies at the Cape of Good Hope, do as much mischief there to the flowers and ears of corn, as the sparrows do in Europe. When retiring by thousands in the evening, from the fields to the reeds, they make such a noise with their chirping as may be heard to a great distance. Their call is like the sparrows’ “dib, dib,” and their song as weak as that of the siskin; the nest is skilfully constructed with small twigs interwoven with cotton, and has but one opening, with two compartments, one above the other, the upper for the male and the lower for the female; the eggs are green.
These birds, when kept in a cage, are fed on canary seed. The male and female never like to be separated; there is no instance, however, of their breeding in these climates.
Loxia Capensis, Linnæus; Le Pinson noir et jaune, Buffon; Der Capsche Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
I have one of these birds, which is about the size of a bullfinch: its length is six inches and a quarter, of which the tail, which is rather wedge-shaped, measures two and a half. The beak is whitish above, very much compressed on the sides, and very pointed; the iris dark brown; feet dark flesh-colour. The head, neck, top of the back, all the under part of the body, and the tail are of a fine velvet black.
The female, which is light brown, has a black spot in the centre of each feather; the sides of the head and greater wing-coverts are grey white, streaked with black; the lesser coverts and the rump of a light yellow; the tail-feathers edged with grey; the beak pale or raven grey.
The plumage of the male after pairing is like that of the female.
Observations.—This bird, which comes from the Cape of Good Hope lives very well in the house; it is kept in a cage, alone or with the female, and fed with hemp and canary seed. In its native country it frequents the edges of streams and rivers, feeds on seeds, but is not so mischievous as the preceding. The eggs are grey, spotted with black. It is said to be nice to eat.
Loxia Caffra, Linnæus; Le Caffre, Buffon; Der Mohren Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is very little larger than the bullfinch, but its long and raised tail is about twice the length of its body: it is only ornamented with it during the pairing season. The beak is brown grey; the feet grey; the prevailing colour of the plumage is velvet black; the shoulders are red; the coverts white; the pen-feathers brown grey, with a white border.
The female is always grey, and has only a little red on the shoulders. The male acquires its beautiful black plumage at the beginning of November, and loses it in January, to assume the colours of the female.
Observations.—This species, which is found in the interior of the country north of the Cape, lives and builds in marshes: it is rarely brought to Europe. The long tail of the male requires a large cage in order to preserve its beauty. In its wild state this length of tail is very inconvenient during the high winds; and during the rainy season it may be caught by the hand. It is fed with canary seed.
Loxia cœrulea, Linnæus; Le Bouvreuil bleu d’dmérique, Buffon; Der dunkelblaue Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is the size of the common grosbeak, about six inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two. The beak, which measures six lines, is strong, and of a dark brown; the feet black; a black streak surrounds the chin, and extends to the eyes: the whole plumage is blue, except the greater wing coverts, the pen-feathers, and the central tail feathers, which are dark brown.
The female is entirely brown, with a slight mixture of blue.
Observations.—I have had an opportunity of observing this bird among the collection belonging to his Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, where it is fed on canary seed. It calls little, and its song is weak, but its plumage is beautiful. It is found in several parts of America, in Brazil, Cayenne, and even in Carolina.
Loxia flaviventris, Linnæus; Le Grosbec jaune du Cap de Bonne Espérance, Brisson; Der gelbafterige Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
I am not sure that this bird, which I have also seen amongst those of his Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, is the true Loxia flaviventris of Linnæus. It is of the size of the common chaffinch, and five inches long. The beak, which is moderately strong, very much resembles that of the chaffinch, and is of a horn brown. The feet are a dull brown. The head and neck are of a dull pale blue; the upper part of the body olive, the whole of the under part is a fine bright orange.
The Yellow Grosbeak of the Cape of Good Hope is thus described:—the head, upper part of the neck, and back are olive, with stripes of brown; the rump olive. The under part of the body deep yellow; on each side of the head is a yellow band which passes above the eyes; the wings and tail feathers are brown, edged with olive.
The female only differs in the colours being less vivid.
Variety.—The top of the head, the upper part of the body, and the breast are olive; the back of the neck, even to the throat, is ash-coloured; the belly yellow, but between the legs white. The wings are black, bordered with orange; the tail feathers dark green, but they are bordered with yellow, and are black up the middle.
Observations.—This bird has been sold as the female of the preceding, and placed in the same cage. It lived very sociably; but I should suspect it rather of being the female of that under notice. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Loxia punctularia, Linnæus; Le Grosbec tacheté de Java, Buffon; Der getüpfelte Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is the size of a linnet, about four inches and a quarter in length. The beak and feet black; the whole of the upper part of the body, and the lower, as far as the breast, chestnut brown; the cheeks marked with a reddish purple tinge; the belly and sides white, but all the feathers bordered with black in the form of a heart.
The female has no red tinge on the cheeks, the beak and feet are deep brown; the sides white, tinged with deep brown: the back reddish brown.
Observations.—This species, which I have seen in the collection of His Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, comes from Java; it is kept in a cage and fed on canary seed. Its call is “deguay,” its feeble song somewhat resembles the siskin’n.
Loxia fasciata, Linnæus; La Collerette Buffon; Der gebänderte Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is the size of the preceding, about four inches and a half in length. The beak is bluish grey. The feet short and flesh-coloured; the upper part of the body dark reddish ash grey, each feather having two black transverse bands, only one of which is visible; the cheeks and lower mandible are surrounded by a band of dark reddish purple.
The female has not this collar, and its plumage is paler; the under part of its body is red brown, each feather edged with a deeper shade.
Varieties.—The one I have actually before me, and which I received from Mr. Thiem, bird-dealer at Waltershausen, is a fine male, whose plumage is as follows:—
The head is dull orange, with black stripes very near together; the upper part of the neck, the back and rump, are the same shade of orange, but each feather is intersected by a semicircular black line, and terminated by a spot of red brown; the scapular wing coverts and last pen-feathers are dark grey, with transverse angular black bands, and bordered at the tips with red brown.
2. This variety is thus described in Latham’s Synopsis of Birds.
The top of the head, upper part of the neck, and lesser wing coverts, light brown, with semicircular black lines; the cheeks plain brown, but edged at the lower part with bright crimson, below which is a black line; the breast and belly light brown, occasionally marked with semicircular lines; the pen-feathers and tail are brown.
Observations.—Bird-fanciers give to these the name of Indian sparrows, though they come from Africa; their cry is similar to that of the common sparrow, and their song not very different. They are fed on canary seeds.
Loxia canora, Linnæus; Der braunwangige Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is the size of the siskin, and four inches in length. The beak short, strong, and horn brown. The feet flesh-colour. The cheeks brown, adorned with a yellow border from the throat to the back of the ear. The female has no yellow border to the cheeks.
Observations.—This pretty species comes from Mexico; its song is soft and clear; its actions are as lively as they are amusing. It is kept in a cage, and fed on canary seed and millet.
Loxia Malacca, Linnæus; Le Jacobin, Buffon; Der Malackische Kernbeisser, Bechstein.
This bird is the size of the greenfinch, and four inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures one and a half. The beak thick, five lines in length, and bluish grey; the feet the same colour. The head, neck, a stripe, which extends up the belly to the vent, and the thighs, are black; the back, wings and tail, pale chestnut.
The following is mentioned as a variety.
The Chinese Grosbeak (Brisson’s Ornithology, III., page 235, No. 7), with the head, throat, and front of the neck black, the upper part of the body red brown or chestnut, the wings and tail similar to the one above.
I have seen this bird in a room several times, and have always regarded it as a male, on account of its song, and because, after moulting, its plumage returned unaltered, not becoming either white on the breast or black at the vent.
Edwards, who has represented it in his 355th plate, has added a female, which he kept in the same cage, and which was improved by its companion. The upper part of its body was grey brown, the sides of the head and under part of the body pinkish, or rather blush colour, the wing and tail feathers blackish, the feet flesh-colour.
The blackness of the wings and tail makes me suspect that this female belongs to another species; its attachment and familiarity prove nothing. We know, in fact, that nearly all granivorous birds hold communion together, and mutually caress each other with the bill.
Observations.—The Malacca Finch comes from the East Indies: it is very gentle, confiding, and lively. Its voice is strong; its cry, “tziapp,” pronounced in a loud clear tone. Though its song is somewhat nasal and rather noisy, it is not disagreeable.
Its food, when in confinement, is hemp and canary seed, which I have known preserve it for a long time in good health.
Emberiza nivalis, Linnæus; L’Lrtolan de neige, Buffon; Der Schneeamer, Bechstein.
Naturalists say that the plumage of this bird differs considerably in summer and winter; though, from analogy with others of its species, I am authorized in suspecting that this change arises rather from age. I shall leave the question undecided; and since we can never see this bird when it has retired in summer within the arctic circle, its native home, I shall content myself with describing its winter colours, such as we may see them in a room.
It is the size of a lark, six inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two and two-thirds. The beak is five or six lines in length, with every characteristic of the bunting species, conical in form, rather bent at the sides, and having a bony tubercle like a grain of barley at the palate; its colour in the singing season is quite black, at other times the point alone is black, the rest yellow. The back and rump are black, the feathers of the back being edged with white, whilst those of the rump and scapulars are edged with yellowish brown, darker in spring than summer.
The female is rather smaller, the head and upper part of the neck white, with a mixture of cinnamon-brown, and transverse spots of the same colour form a kind of broken band across the white breast.
The young ones which are taken in winter are known by their dark brown beak; the lower part of the back is of the same colour, but their feathers are edged with a light grey. The male has the head most speckled with yellow brown, the cheeks of the female are of the same tint, and it has spots of this on the breast.
Observations.—When the winter is severe, these birds are seen from December to May in many parts of Germany, where they even approach the villages. I am persuaded that, if attention were paid to them, they might be seen in every direction, during March, on their passage to the North; whilst snow is on the ground they are found in company with larks, on the high roads and in the fields; they may then be taken with horse dung, placed in net, or covered with bird-lime, or by clearing a spot of ground of snow and strewing it with oats. I have had a pair six years in my room without a cage, and they are satisfied with the food common for other birds: if kept in a cage, they must be fed on hemp seed, oats, millet, rape, and poppy seeds. They appear much delighted whilst bathing; during the night they seem very uneasy, hopping and running about continually. Their strong and piercing cry resembles a loud whistle; their song would be rather agreeable were it not interrupted in a peculiar manner; it is a warbling mingled with some high noisy notes, descending slowly from shrill to deep, and a little strong and broken whistling. Heat is so contrary to their nature, that they cannot be preserved unless carefully guarded from it.
Emberiza montana, Linnæus; L’Lrtolan de Montagne, Buffon; Der Bergammer, Bechstein.
This bird is smaller than the snow bunting, has a short, strong yellow beak, with a black point; the head is nearly flat, the frontal band light chestnut; the upper part of the neck and back grey, with black streaks, most numerous on the back, causing a resemblance to the female yellowhammer; feet black.
The breast of the female is of a deeper colour than the male’e.
Observations.—This species, inhabiting the cold regions of Europe, is never found in great numbers. In Thuringia, and some other provinces of Germany, they are seen generally every year, in March, the time of passage, settling in pairs along the high roads, searching for a few undigested grains in the dung of animals. Their song is shrill, tolerably pleasing, and interrupted like the yellowhammer’r. They may be easily kept in the house, either caged or not, feeding them on oats, bread, hemp, and other seeds. These birds also appear uneasy during the night, especially in the pairing season, uttering their call amidst the darkness. Some are occasionally met with of a dull orange on the upper part of the body, streaked with yellow on the head, and deep orange on the back. These are young birds. This species is caught in the same manner as the snow bunting.
Emberiza citrinella, Linnæus; Le Bruant, Buffon; Der Goldammer, Bechstein.
However well known this bird may be, it is still necessary that it should be described minutely, as the young males and old females are often confounded with one another. It is six inches and a half in length, of which the forked tail measures three. The beak, five lines long, is dark brown in summer, and ash grey in winter; the feet are of a light brown. The head of the old males is of a fine yellow, generally having some streaks of dark olive scattered over the top and on the cheeks; it is only in very old birds that the head and neck are of a golden yellow, without any mixture; the upper part of the neck is olive; the back black, mingled with reddish grey; the feathers have black up the middle, and the edges reddish grey; the rump is of a deep red; the throat, with the under part of the neck and the belly, are yellow, more or less golden; the breast, especially its sides, as well as the small coverts of the tail, is streaked with yellow and red.
YELLOWHAMMER.
The female is rather smaller than the male; the yellow of the head, neck, and throat, is scarcely seen through the spots scattered over it, which are brown on the head and cheeks, and olive-coloured on the neck; the breast is only speckled with rust red, and the wing coverts with reddish white, so that at a distance it appears rather brown than yellow.
Young male birds, in spring, scarcely differ from old females, except that a spot of yellow may even then be seen on the top of the head, as well as a streak of the same colour above the eyes and on the throat; in fact, the breast and rump are rather of a deep reddish brown than rust red, and also without spots.
Habitation.—In its wild state the yellowhammer is found in all parts of Europe, and the north of Asia. It remains in summer about the skirts of forests and small woods. It overruns the fields in autumn, and in the winter approaches our buildings, particularly barns and stables.
When confined it is generally allowed to run about the room, but where it is rare, and therefore most valued, it is kept in a cage.
Food.—When wild these birds live on insects, particularly caterpillars, on which, like all the other species of this genus, they feed their young. In autumn and winter, they have recourse to all kinds of grain; but they prefer oats, which, with barley, wheat, and millet, they know how to get at very cleverly, notwithstanding the bony tubercle at their palate. They also feed upon rape, and other small seeds, when they can get them.
In the house, to preserve them in health, their food should be properly varied, giving them in turn oats, the crumb of white bread, meat, bruised hemp seed, poppy and rape seed. When running about, the second universal paste agrees very well with them. It is no doubt to assist their digestion, that they often swallow fresh black earth, as I have always seen those do that I have kept; this must not be forgotten to be given them, nor water for them to bathe in, which they enjoy very much.
Breeding.—This species breeds twice in the year, the first time in the end of March, or the beginning of April. The nest, which is placed in a hedge, bush, tuft of grass, or even in moss on the ground, is formed on the outside of straws, interwoven and lined within with the hair of horses and other animals. It contains from three to five eggs, of a dirty white, with zig-zag lines and spots of brown. When reared from the nest the young ones may be taught to imitate the song of the chaffinch, and a few notes of other birds.
Diseases.—The disease most common to this bird is decline. The time of moulting is very dangerous to them, as they suffer much, and sometimes die; to render this period less dangerous, they should have fresh ants’ eggs as soon as it commences, a remedy most useful to this species, to chaffinches, and to sparrows.
Mode of Taking.—The yellowhammer is easily taken in winter, near our dwellings, either in a net, with a stalk of oats as a bait, or under a basket or sieve, which may be thrown down, by drawing away the small stick that supports it, by means of a string. They will also enter the area or barn-floor trap, if a perching bird is fastened there, by a string attached to the leather band round its body; in spring they may be caught like other birds, by means of a bird-call.
Attractive Qualities.—The first of these is certainly the beauty of the bird, but the fine yellow which sets it off fades gradually when kept in the house, where it will live five or six years; the second is its song, which, without being very distinguished, is rather pleasing; its call, though not strong, is heard to some distance; but this bird, so gay, so spruce, so active when free, becomes dull, idle, and awkward in a cage.
Emberiza miliaria, Linnæus; Le Proyer, Buffon; Der Gerstenammer, Bechstein.
This species, found throughout Europe and the north of Asia, has not so good a title to be admitted into the house as the preceding, not being distinguished either for its song or the beauty of its colours. With a plumage very similar to that of the sky-lark, it surpasses it in size, being seven inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures three. The beak, measuring six lines, is strong, yellowish on the under part in summer; the rest of the year the whole of it is grey brown; the feet the same, which stand six lines in height. The general tint of the plumage is pale, reddish grey on the upper part of the body, and yellowish white on the under, speckled like the lark’k, with blackish brown spots.
In the female the colours are rather lighter.
Habitation.—In its wild state this bird is common in most parts of Europe; in the more northerly parts it does not remain during the winter, and only appears at certain seasons; in March they are met with amongst the larks in the fields, meadows, and on the high roads, often perched on the tops of willows, or on a stake in a hedge, on a milestone, or a clod of earth.
In a room it may occupy a lark’s cage, but is more commonly let run about at liberty.
Food.—Both at liberty and in confinement its food is similar to that of the yellowhammer; it is however a more delicate bird.
Breeding.—Its nest, placed under a bush, does not rest on the ground but on the turf; it is constructed of the stalks of grass, and lined with horse-hair. The eggs are grey, speckled with chestnut and streaked with black.
Mode of Taking.—In autumn these birds may be taken in an area with a decoy bird; in winter, before the barn door, with bird-lime or a clapper; in the spring with a bird-call.
Attractive Qualities.—Their song, shorter and less soft than that of the yellowhammer, has only four or five notes; from their dwelling on the r in the last, they have been given the name of stocking weavers.
Emberiza hortulena, Linnæus; L’Lrtolan, Buffon; Der Gartenammer, Bechstein.
It is necessary to give a very exact description of this species, as not only bird-catchers, but even some naturalists, give the name of Ortolan to several very different species. Under this name the former sell all rare birds of this kind. The true ortolan has a wider breast and stronger beak than the yellowhammer; it is six inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two and a half; the beak, six inches long, is thick at the base, with a bony tubercle at the palate, and is of a yellowish flesh-colour; the iris dark brown. The legs, which stand ten lines in height, are flesh-coloured; the head and neck is greyish olive; the throat and a streak on the neck from the angle of the beak, deep yellow.
The female is rather smaller, of a changeable shining ash-colour on its head and neck, streaked with fine black lines. Its breast, and the upper and under part of its body, are lighter than in the male.
The throat of the young male birds, before the first moulting, is of a light yellow, with a mixture of grey; the breast and belly are of a reddish yellow, speckled with grey, which make them rather resemble young yellowhammers. A bird fancier will distinguish the two sexes even in the nest. There are white, yellow, speckled, and in the house sometimes even black varieties.