Mrs. Bowdich it is sufficiently pliable to roll itself up in a ball, and
is strong enough to crack a hazel nut. She says, "It will plant itself
at the door of a hive, and tap loudly on the edge; which signal is
answered by a sentinel bee who is immediately snapped up, taken to the
bough of a tree where he is beaten to death, and then loses his head and
thorax; the rest of him being unworthy of the appetite of his captor."
The Long-tailed Titmouse is famous for the beauty, security and warmth
of its nest.
The Golden Oriole.
The Golden Oriole deserves mention if only for its beautiful name; it
has, however, other claims to attention. It is found in Europe and
Australia and visits England occasionally during the summer, but is not
found in America. The male is a very handsome bird of a golden yellow
colour, with wings and tail of black, the feathers of the latter ending
in yellow. It lives on fruit and berries, and, failing these, insects,
and inhabits thickets and wooded spots adjacent to orchards, upon which
it commits serious depredations.
The Shrike.
There are several species of Shrikes, the Thick-headed Shrike, the Great
Shrike, and the Red-backed Shrike being among these. The Great Shrike
belongs to both Europe and America. In appearance it resembles the
Mocking Bird for which it is sometimes mistaken. It preys upon mice,
frogs, birds, grasshoppers and large insects, killing and then impaling
them upon thorns until such time as it chooses to eat them. Its rapacity
has earned for it the name of "the Butcher Bird." According to Mr. Bell
these birds are kept tame in the houses in Russia. One in his possession
was furnished with a sharply pointed stick for a perch, on the end of
which it spitted any bird or animal it caught. The Shrike believes in a
well filled larder, and does not proceed to eat his game until he has a
good stock. He is also known as the "Nine-killer" in America, from his
supposed preference for spitting that number at a forage.
The Jay.
We now come to the family of the Corvidæ, the crow family, which
includes the Jays, the Magpies and the Choughs. The Common Jay is
indigenous in England where it secludes itself in woody fastnesses,
rarely exposing itself in open country. It is a handsome bird about
thirteen inches long, with beautiful blue markings on its wings, but is
so shy that it is difficult to get a sight of it when at liberty. Taken
young it may be easily tamed, when it becomes an amusing, if mischievous
pet. It has considerable powers of mimicry and can imitate the common
sounds it hears with wonderful exactness. The bleat of the lamb, the mew
of the cat, the neigh of the horse and the cries of other birds give
exercise to this faculty, and Bewick says: "We have heard one imitate
the sound made by the action of a saw, so exactly, that though it was on
a Sunday, we could hardly be persuaded that the person who kept it had
not a carpenter at work in the house." Like many other birds it becomes
bold in the care and protection of its young. Knapp in his "Journals of
a Naturalist" says:
"This bird is always extremely timid, when its own interest or safety is
solely concerned; but no sooner does its hungry brood clamour for
supply, than it loses all its wary character, and becomes a bold and
impudent thief. At this period it will visit our gardens, which it
rarely approaches at other times, plunder them of every raspberry,
cherry, or bean, that it can obtain, and will not cease from rapine as
long as any of the brood or the crop remains. We see all the nestlings
approach, and, settling near some meditated scene of plunder, quietly
await a summons to commence. A parent bird from some tree, surveys the
ground, then descends upon the cherry, or into the rows, immediately
announces a discovery, by a low but particular call, and all the family
flock into the banquet, which having finished by repeated visits, the
old birds return to the woods, with all their chattering children, and
become the same wild, cautious creatures they were before."
The Blue Jay.
Wilson gives the following description of the Blue Jay: "This elegant
bird, peculiar to North America, is distinguished as a kind of beau
among the feathered tenants of the woods, by the brilliancy of his
dress; and like most other coxcombs, makes himself still more
conspicuous by his loquacity, and the oddness of his tones and gestures.
Of all birds he is the most bitter enemy to the owl. No sooner has he
discovered the retreat of one of these, than he calls the whole
feathered fraternity to his assistance, who surround the glimmering
recluse, and attack him from all sides, raising such a shout as may be
heard on a still day more than half a mile off. The owl at length,
forced to betake himself to flight, is followed by his whole train of
persecutors, until driven beyond the boundaries of their jurisdiction.
But the blue jay himself is not guiltless of similar depredations as the
owl and becomes in his turn the very tyrant he detested, and he is
sometimes attacked with such spirit as to be under the necessity of
making a speedy retreat. The blue jay is not only bold and vociferous,
but possesses a considerable talent for mimicry, and seems to enjoy
great satisfaction in mocking and teasing other birds, particularly the
little hawk, imitating his cry whenever he sees him, and squeaking out
as if caught; this soon brings a number of his own tribe around him, who
all join in the frolic, darting about the hawk, and feigning the cries
of a bird sorely wounded, and already in the clutches of its devourer;
while others lie concealed in bushes, ready to second their associates
in the attack. But this ludicrous farce often terminates tragically. The
hawk, singling out one of the most insolent and provoking, swoops upon
him in an unguarded moment, and offers him up a sacrifice to his hunger
and resentment. In an instant the tune is changed, all their buffoonery
vanishes, and loud and incessant screams proclaim their disaster.
Whenever the jay has had the advantage of education from man, he has not
only shown himself an apt scholar, but his suavity of manners seems
equalled only by his art and contrivances, though it must be confessed
that his itch for thieving keeps pace with all his other acquirements."
The Magpie.
The Magpie is an ancient bird and is mentioned by Plutarch and other
early writers. It is indigenous in England and shows great industry and
ingenuity in the construction of its nest, which it lines with mud
plaster and covers with thorns, building upon high trees and in secluded
spots. It feeds upon both animal and vegetable food, attacking birds,
young ducks and chickens, as well as mice and even rats, and regaling
itself on both fruit and grain. It attains to a length of about eighteen
inches and is a handsome bird, though captivity does not improve its
appearance.
The Magpie's Mischief.
The mischievous habits of the magpie have won for it the name of "the
Monkey of the Birds," the Raven as Mr. Wood puts it being "the
ornithological baboon." Its mischief is displayed in many ways; in the
wanton destruction of articles and in their crafty secretion, as well as
in the thievish appropriation of edible dainties. Mr. Wood tells of a
Wiltshire magpie which "found a malicious enjoyment in pecking the
unprotected ankles of little boys not yet arrived at manly habiliments,
and was such a terror to the female servants that they were forced to
pass his lurking-place armed with a broom. One of the servants having
neglected this precaution, was actually found sitting down on the stones
to protect her ankles, the magpie triumphantly pacing round her, until
aid was brought, and the bird driven away." Mrs. Bowdich quotes the
following from Mr. Ranson: "A magpie, kept by a branch of our family,
was noted for his powers of imitation. He could whistle tunes, imitate
hens and ducks, and speak very plainly. Seated upon a toll-bar gate, he
would shout 'Gate, ahoy!' so distinctly, as to draw out the keeper, who
was generally saluted by a loud laugh when he answered the call. When
the keeper's wife was making pastry, he would practise the same
man[oe]uvre, and if the trick were not detected, and the woman rushed
out to open the gate, the magpie darted into the house, and speedily
made his exit with his bill full of paste; and he, in great glee, would
chatter about it for some time afterwards. He would perch upon the backs
of chairs, say he was hungry, or inform the juniors of the family it was
time to go to school. He was allowed to run about, but was never out of
mischief, and had a constant propensity to pilfer and hide small
articles." Of the serious consequences sometimes attending this habit of
secreting things, the following story from Lady Morgan's "Italy" is a
painful illustration.--"A noble lady of Florence, resided in a house
which stands still opposite the lofty Doric column which was raised to
commemorate the defeat of Pietro Strozzi, and the taking of Sienna, by
the tyrannic conqueror of both. Cosmo, the First, lost a valuable pearl
necklace, and one of her waiting-women, (a very young girl) was accused
of the theft. Having solemnly denied the fact, she was put to the
torture, which was then _a plaisir_ at Florence. Unable to support its
terrible infliction, she acknowledged that 'she was guilty,' and,
without further trial, was hung. Shortly after, Florence was visited by
a tremendous storm; a thunder-bolt fell on the figure of Justice, and
split the scales, one of which fell to the earth, and with it fell the
ruins of a magpie's nest, containing the pearl necklace. Those scales
are still the haunts of birds, and I never saw them hovering round them,
without thinking of those 'good old times,' when innocent women could be
first tortured, and then hung on suspicion."
The Raven.
The Raven is a large bird, indeed the largest of the British crows,
attaining to a length of two feet two inches, and having a stretch of
wing of four feet eight inches, in width. It is an historic bird, being
mentioned by Pliny who records that a tame one kept in the Temple of
Castor, was taught by a tailor whom it used to visit, to pronounce the
name of the Emperor Tiberius and of the other members of the Royal
family. The fame of the bird brought the tailor riches, but excited the
jealousy of his neighbours, one of whom killed the bird. The record
states that the offender was punished and the bird accorded a
magnificent funeral. The Raven builds its nest in high trees and among
inaccessible and precipitous rocks, especially in the Hebrides, and
lives on carrion, not disdaining fruit and grain. Like many other birds
who afterwards show little concern for their young the Raven is
assiduous in its attentions during the period of incubation. The
following is from White's "Natural History of Selborne":
"In the centre of a grove near Selborne, there stood an oak, which
though shapely and tall on the whole, bulged out into a large
excrescence near the middle of the stem. On the tree a pair of ravens
had fixed their residence for such a series of years, that the oak was
distinguished by the name of the 'raven tree,' Many were the attempts
of the neighbouring youths to get at this eyrie; the difficulty whetted
their inclinations, and each was ambitious of surmounting the arduous
task; but, when they arrived at the swelling, it jutted out so much in
their way, and was so far beyond their grasp, that the boldest lads were
deterred, and acknowledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. Thus the
ravens continued to build nest after nest, in perfect security, till the
fatal day arrived on which the wood was to be levelled. This was in the
month of February, when these birds usually sit. The saw was applied to
the trunk, the wedges were inserted in the opening, the woods echoed to
the heavy blows of the beetle or mallet, the tree nodded to its fall;
but the dam persisted to sit. At last, when it gave way, the bird was
flung from her nest; and though her maternal affection deserved a better
fate, was whipped down by the twigs, which brought her dead to the
ground." Ravens are said to pair for life and to live for a hundred
years.
Unnatural Parents.
Though models of conjugal fidelity, Ravens are said to be very unnatural
parents, often showing not only indifference but cruelty to their young.
Mr. Morris in his "Anecdotes of Natural History" tells an interesting
story of a family of ravens whose mother came to an untimely death. "For
a time the surviving parent hovered about the nest, uttering loud and
menacing croakings whenever anybody approached. At length, however, he
disappeared, and absented himself for two or three days, and then
returned with another mate, when a strange scene occurred. The poor
half-starved nestlings were attacked without mercy by the step-mother,
who, after severely wounding, precipitated them from the nest; two,
however, were found at the foot of the tree with signs of life, and with
great care and attention reared at the rectory, about half a mile
distant, and after being slightly pinioned, were allowed their liberty;
but they seldom quitted the lawn or offices, roosting in a tree in the
shrubbery. Here, however, they were soon discovered by their unnatural
parents, who for a long time used to come at early dawn and pounce upon
them with fierce cries." In this case it was the step-mother and not the
mother that treated the young ravens so unkindly, and the father may be
charitably credited with acting under the influence of his second wife.
That the Raven drives its young out of its nest as soon as they are able
to provide for themselves is true, but why they should pursue them after
they have become independent is not clear. This habit of the ravens, as
Mr. Morris points out, may be referred to in the following quotations:
"He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry"
(Psalm CXLVII. 9). "Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young
ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat" (Job XXXVIII. 41).
The Tame Raven.
The Raven may be easily tamed, and in private life is always an
amusement, if sometimes an annoyance. Like all birds which are capable
of imitating sounds and which learn words and phrases it will often
"speak its lines," with startling appropriateness as to time and place.
Captain Brown tells a good story of a Raven which belonged to a
gentleman who resided on the borders of the New Forest in Hampshire. On
one occasion a traveller who was passing through the forest was startled
by the frequent repetition of the words: "Fair play, gentlemen! fair
play! for God's sake, gentlemen, fair play!" and upon tracing the source
of the sound discovered the tame raven defending himself from the
attacks of two of his own species. It is needless to say that the
traveller rescued the "gentleman" from the two "ruffians" who molested
him. Captain Brown also tells of a tame raven who was an expert
rat-catcher and whose method was to place a meat bone in front of a rat
hole and to stand on a ledge above the hole, pouncing on the rat as soon
as he emerged from his retreat. In this way he captured as many as six
in a fore-noon.
The Raven and the Dog.
Dr. Stanley tells the following story of a Raven and a Dog: "A strong
attachment was once formed between a raven and a large otter-dog. The
raven had been taken when young, and reared in a stable-yard, where the
dog was kept chained up. A friendship soon commenced, which, increasing
from little to more, in time ripened into a most extraordinary degree of
intimacy. At first the bird was satisfied with hopping about in the
vicinity of the kennel, and occasionally pecking a hasty morsel from the
dog's feeding-pan when the latter had finished his meal. Finding,
however, no interruption on the part of his friend, the raven soon
became a constant attendant at meal times, and, taking up his position
on the edge of the dish, acted the part of a regular guest and partaker
of the dog's dinner, which consisted usually of meal and milk, with
occasional scraps of offal meat, a piece of which the bird would often
snatch up, almost from the very mouth of the dog, and hasten beyond the
reach of his chain, as if to tantalise his four-footed friend; and then
hopping towards him, would play about, and hang it close to his nose;
and then as speedily, at the moment the dog was preparing to snap it up,
would dart off beyond the reach of the chain. At other times he would
hide the piece of meat under a stone, and then coming back, with a
cunning look, would perch upon the dog's head. It was observed, however,
that he always ended his pranks by either sharing or giving up the whole
piece to his friend the dog. By some accident the raven had fallen into
a tub of water, and, either weakened by struggling, or unable to get out
owing to its feathers being soaked with water, it was nearly drowned.
The dog (whether the same dog or another does not appear), chained at a
short distance, saw the poor bird's danger, and dragging his heavy
kennel towards it, reached his head over the side of the tub, and
taking the drowning raven up in his mouth, laid him gently on the
ground, when he soon recovered."
The Rook.
The Rook which is often confused with the Carrion Crow is found in many
parts of Europe and is abundant in England, where it is common to see
groups of trees near gentlemen's houses given up to their occupancy.
Here they build their nests, rear their young, keep up an incessant
cawing, quarrel and make peace as do all other large communities. If a
new-comer appears among them, he is generally received in a very rough
manner. At Newcastle, a pair of rooks attempted to introduce themselves
into a rookery, but were so rudely treated, that, in high dudgeon, they
ascended to the steeple of one of the public buildings, and built their
nest on the vane. Here they lived for several successive seasons,
turning about with every change of wind, and regardless of the busy
scene in the town beneath. The rook is gregarious, in which particular
it differs from the Carrion Crow which lives in pairs. Further
differences are found in the feathering of the head and neck of these
birds, that of the crow being much more completely covered than that of
the rook. The croak of the crow is, moreover, much harsher than the caw
of the rook. Like most, if not all other birds and animals, the rook
serves a useful purpose in nature, in checking the multiplication of the
worms and insects which prey upon the crops; and doubtless were he able
to argue the question he would contend that helping the farmer to
produce his harvest he has a right to a share in it. It is only when the
rook in his turn gets too numerous that he needs a similar check.
The Carrion Crow.
The Carrion Crow resembles the raven in appearance, but is about one
third smaller in size. It lives in pairs and is said to be a model of
conjugal fidelity and parental care. Omnivorous in habit it appropriates
all kinds of food: insects, grain, eggs, fruit, nuts, mice, ducklings
and chickens, as well as such dead meat as may offer opportunitty.
Captain Brown quoting from a Scotch newspaper tells of a crow which made
an attempt to carry off one of a brood of fourteen chickens, but which
on being disturbed, dropped its prey and made its escape, returning some
time after with thirteen other crows and carrying off the whole brood.
The Jackdaw.
The Jackdaw, measures about fourteen inches, and is thus the smallest of
the birds of its kind. It builds in old ruins, church towers, and rocky
eminences, in which particular it differs from the rooks and the crows,
who select the topmost branches of trees for this purpose. Like its near
relatives with whom we have been dealing, it is thievish and secretive
in its habits, showing a preference, in its appropriations, for bright
objects such as silver spoons and gold rings. These habits and their
terrible consequences have been immortalized by the history and fate of
the "Jackdaw of Rheims."
The Chough.
The Chough frequents the western sea coasts of England, the north,
south, and west of Ireland and the Isle of Man, and the borders of the
snow line or Alpine ranges on the continent of Europe. It nests in the
cavities of high cliffs and attains a length of seventeen inches; its
beak and legs are of a brilliant red. When tamed it shows the same
qualities of curiosity and secretiveness which characterise the other
birds of its kind.
The Bird of Paradise.
The Bird of Paradise is one of the most beautiful of living birds. Mr.
Wallace thus describes the _Paradisea apoda_ which is the largest
species known: "The body, wings, and tail are of a rich coffee brown,
which deepens on the breast to a blackish-violet or purple brown. The
whole top of the head and neck is of an exceedingly delicate
straw-yellow, the feathers being short and close set, so as to resemble
plush or velvet; the lower part of the throat up to the eye is clothed
with scaly feathers of an emerald green colour, and with a rich metallic
gloss, and velvety plumes of a still deeper green, extend in a band
across the forehead and chin as far as the eye, which is bright yellow.
The beak is pale lead blue, and the feet which are rather large and very
strong and well formed, are a pale ashy pink. The two middle feathers of
the tail have no webs, except a very small one at the base and at the
extreme tip, forming wire-like cirri, which spread out in an elegant
double curve, and vary from twenty-four to thirty-four inches long. From
each side of the body beneath the wings, springs a dense tuft of long
and delicate plumes, sometimes two feet in length, of the most intense
golden orange colour, and very glossy, but changing towards the tips
into a pale brown. This tuft of plumage can be elevated and spread out
at pleasure so as almost to conceal the body of the bird. These splendid
ornaments are entirely confined to the male sex; the female is a very
plain and ordinary looking bird. The male is generally seventeen or
eighteen inches from the beak to the tip of the tail."
Hunting the Bird of Paradise.
In catching the Bird of Paradise, the natives take advantage of the
apparent vanity of their victims. "In May when they are in full
plumage," says Mr. Wallace, "the males assemble early in the morning to
exhibit themselves in a most singular manner. This habit enables the
natives to obtain specimens with comparative ease. As soon as they find
that the birds have fixed upon a tree upon which to assemble, they build
a little shelter of palm leaves in a convenient place among the
branches, and the hunter ensconces himself in it before daylight, armed
with his bow and a number of arrows terminating in a round nob. A boy
waits at the foot of the tree, and when the birds come at sunrise, and a
sufficient number have assembled, and have begun to dance, the hunter
shoots with his blunt arrow so strongly as to stun the bird, which drops
down, and is secured and killed by the boy, without its plumage being
injured by a drop of blood. The rest take no notice, and fall one after
another till some of them take the alarm." The Bird of Paradise is
found in New Guinea and the Papuan Islands.
The Tanagers.
Following Mr. Wallace's order we come now to the second class of the
perching birds, the Tanagroid perchers, with the more important species
of which we will now proceed to deal.
The Tanager.