This is one of the handsomest of our British birds, visiting us the
latter end of March or beginning of April; the earliest arrival ever
noticed was the 25th of March, and they generally leave us the beginning
of September. When they first arrive they mostly frequent old buildings
or out-houses, for the sake of flies and small insects that often abound
there. They build their nest in a hole or crevice of a wall, or in a
hollow tree. They frequently ascend to the top of the highest tree
within their haunt, and there sit sometimes for a considerable time,
pouring out their quick and sort of fretful song. When kept in
confinement I consider it the most sensible, and, if brought up from the
nest, the most attached of all small birds; but it may be considered the
most tender of the whole tribe. It is a real mocker, and if bred up from
a young one, will learn the note or call of almost any other bird; it
will also learn a tune that is whistled or sung to it, and will sing by
night as well as day if a light be kept in the room where it is.
I was in possession of a handsome male bird of this species, which I
kept more than six years. It became very tame, though an old wild bird
when first caught, and it was so attached to its cage, that one day,
having got its liberty, it flew away into the gardens, where it stayed
six or seven hours, after which it returned to its cage again. In the
year 1825 I saw a female bird of this species so late as the 21st of
November, flying about as lively as at midsummer; it had probably
escaped or been turned out of a cage. When in confinement it is
particularly partial to ants' eggs, and also to the common maggots.