This is another little favourite songster, and a most deserving one it
is. It visits us the latter end of March, or beginning of April, and
leaves us again at the end of September, or beginning of October. On its
first arrival, it enlivens our woods and groves with its lively piercing
song and gay frolics, flying about from tree to tree, and catching the
small gnats and flies that come in its way. It builds its nest on the
ground in a thicket amongst dead leaves and moss, with a covering on
the top, of the same materials as those lying all around, so that it is
impossible to find it without watching one of the old ones to the nest,
which in general consists of six or seven young ones. These may either
be brought up from the nest, or if an old one be caught wild it is
easily tamed. When first put in the cage with a tame bird, the general
food, bread and milk, and eggs, should be stuck full of small flies,
aphides, small caterpillars, or other small insects, in picking out
which it will taste the other food, and soon take to eat it readily, and
will soon become very tame in confinement. One that I caught in
September was, in three days afterwards, let out of the aviary into the
room to catch the flies, that were numerous at that season. After
amusing itself for some time in catching flies, it began singing; and it
did the same several other times when it was let out, and in a few days
began to sing in its aviary. It soon became so familiar, that it would
take flies out of the hand; and when out in the room, if a fly was held
towards it, would fly up, and take it immediately.
Although the present species is so small a bird, it is very courageous,
being generally the master of the cage, and as it is so fine a songster,
and almost continually in song, no little bird can be more desirable in
a cage with other birds; its note, when in full song, being so loud and
shrill, that its voice is plainly heard above the nightingale's when
both are in full song.