This pretty species is also known by the name of Furze Chat, and is very
often confounded with the stonechat, which is a very different species.
It generally visits this country in the beginning of April, and leaves
us towards the end of September. All the fore part of the season it
visits commons, where it may be seen on the furze bushes, flying
backwards and forwards after the insects that pass. It builds its nest
on the ground in a thicket, which it covers up with dry grass, so that
it is impossible to find it without watching the old ones, either in
carrying materials to build, or food to their young. I have generally
found them with six or seven young ones, which, with care, are easily
bred up from the nest, keeping them warm, dry, and clean, and feeding
them with the same sorts of food as recommended for the old ones; they
should not be taken till quite fledged, and should at first be placed in
a little basket with covers, as they will then readily open their mouths
for food. I consider those reared from the nest much the best, or such
as are caught very young, as they may then be taught any tune, or will
learn the song of any bird they hear, their own song not being a very
good one.
This bird may be considered as one of the tenderest of the tribe, being
very susceptible of cold. It is one of my greatest favourites. One that
I bred from the nest by hand, learnt the song of the white-throat, the
redstart, willow-wren, nightingale, and also that of a missel-thrush,
which it frequently heard singing in a garden near by; of this latter
song it was so fond, that we were frequently obliged to put our
favourite out of the room, not being able to bear its loud notes; it was
certainly the best bird I ever kept of any kind, singing nearly the
whole year through, and varying its song continually; the only fault was
its strong voice. At last, our favourite was turned out of its cage by a
mischievous servant on a cold winter day, when we were from home for
about an hour, and we could not entice it back; it most probably died of
the cold, or took its flight to a warmer region. I scarcely entertain
any hopes of ever getting such another; the food of the present species
is precisely the same as the last.