Motacilla Fruticeti, LINNÆUS; La Petite Fauvette, BUFFON; Die
rostgraue Grasmücke, BECHSTEIN.
This bird, which is but little known, resembles in most points the
preceding, but its figure is smaller and its plumage darker. Its length
is four inches and three quarters, of which two and a half (being more
than half of the whole) belong to the tail. The beak, four lines in
length, is brown above and yellowish white below and on the edges; the
iris dark brown; the feet, nine lines in height, are pale lead-colour;
all the upper part of the body, comprising the wing-coverts, is dusky
reddish grey, darker towards the head and lighter towards the rump.
I have never been able to discover any difference between the plumage of
the male and female.
OBSERVATIONS.--This bird arrives among us towards the end of April. It
frequents hilly places covered with bushes and briars, among which it
builds its nest, about four or five feet from the ground, and among
the thickest foliage. The eggs, five in number, are whitish, mottled
with bluish brown, and speckled with dark maroon. Incubation lasts
but thirteen days. At first the young are fed with the smallest
caterpillars, afterwards with larger ones, flies, and other insects;
but as soon as they can fly they accompany their parents in search of
cherries, red currants, elderberries, and, later in the season, the
berries of the service tree. The family departs together in the month
of September, and then some are taken in nooses or springes baited
with elderberries. But this species is not much valued, and does not
therefore excite the attention of bird-catchers, who give the
preference to the fauvette.
However, this bird is an excellent singer, and though his voice is
not so clear and flute-like as that of the fauvette, yet by skilfully
introducing his call into his warble, he produces a very striking and
agreeable variety. This species is fed and treated like the
preceding, but with still greater care, for it is even more delicate.
With all my care I have never been able to preserve it more than two
years at the utmost: the difficulty, however, does not appear to
proceed from the diet, for being caught in the autumn it soon gets
accustomed to the food of the nightingale, by first giving it the
berries which it selects in a state of freedom.