Sylvia polyglotta, RANZANI; Sylvia Hippolais, BECHSTEIN; Le
Bec-fin à poitrine jaune, TEMMINCK; Die Gelbbrust, BECHSTEIN;
Die Spotvogel, WICHTERICH.
This pleasing bird, which is met with wherever there are groves and
bushes[102], is five inches and a half in length, of which the tail
measures two and a quarter. The beak, seven lines long, is straight,
blunt, bluish grey above, and yellow tinged with flesh-colour beneath,
with yellowish corners, and the entrance of the throat citron yellow;
the iris is dark brown; the shanks, ten lines high, are lead-coloured.
The head is pointed in front; the back, rump, and lesser wing-coverts,
are olive ash grey; a yellow line extends from the nostrils to the eyes;
the whole of the under part of the body is a fine light yellow; the tail
and wings are dark brown; the secondary quill-feathers have so wide a
white border that it forms a spot on the closed wings.
HABITATION.--In its wild state it frequents orchards, groves, and
brambles; but with us it seems to prefer small woods that are
interspersed with resinous trees. It arrives the end of April, and
quits us as early as the end of August, before the moulting season.
In the house it is kept in a nightingale's cage, in which no change
must be made, still less must another be given it, for it would not
survive these disturbances. It is so delicate, that if taken when
full grown it is almost impossible to tame it.
FOOD.--When wild its food is all kinds of insects, smooth
caterpillars, flies, gnats, &c.; and if these are scarce,
berries[103].
In the house it prefers these insects and meal-worms. It is only with
great patience and management that it can be given a taste for the
nightingale's food. In general it will eat nothing but insects.
BREEDING.--The nest of the arbour bird is one of those that are so
well and curiously formed, commonly placed eight feet above the
ground, in the fork of a tree. It is built of pieces of the white
bark of the birch tree, dried plants, caterpillars' webs, wool, and
the upper layer of down. All these white materials give it the
appearance of being made of paper. It is lined with the finest hay.
The female lays five eggs, which are at first of a pale rose red, but
after having been sat upon some days acquire a dark flesh-coloured
tint, speckled with dark red. This species has but one brood in the
year, and if the nest is approached two or three times it will desert
it, whether the young ones are hatched or not.
If a person wish to have this pleasing bird in the house, as it is
often seen in Hesse, he must take the young ones early from the nest,
feed them on ants' eggs and bullock's heart chopped small, and always
keep them in a warm place. As soon as the arbour bird has been placed
in the situation destined for it, it must be left there constantly;
its cage ought not to be changed, at least there should be no
difference in the one given it afterwards, as without this attention
it becomes sad, eats no longer, and dies in a short time. I may
observe here, that it moults in December or January, whence we may
infer that it passes the winter in a southern climate.
DISEASES.--These are the same as the nightingale's.
MODE OF TAKING.--This can rarely be accomplished but by placing limed
twigs on the nest, which is a cruel method, and the nest is often
deserted as soon as it has been approached. Neither will these birds
go to the water-trap: they may be caught occasionally in bird-traps
in August, by baiting them with currants[104]. The surest way then is
to take them young, especially as the old ones cannot be tamed.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--The song of the arbour bird is sweet, varied,
full of power and melody, long sustained; yet some harsh strains have
been remarked, and some resembling the notes of the chimney swallow.
Whilst singing its throat is much dilated. Its call is _dak, dak!
hyovie, hyovie!_ Its plumage is pretty.