PASSERINES.
The Passerines (from _passer_, the Latin name for Sparrow) form the
least natural group of the class Aves. Here one seeks in vain for
the homogeneous characteristics which distinguish the preceding
races. Indeed, it is difficult to detect the bonds which connect them
together. For example, where is the link which unites the Crow to
the Swallow or to the Humming-birds? Nevertheless, all these winged
creatures, though so different externally, belong to the _Passerinæ_.
It may be said that this order presents only negative characteristics,
bringing together in a somewhat odd assemblage all birds which are
neither web-footed, wading, gallinaceous, climbing, nor rapacious. The
only physical feature on which much stress can be laid, which is common
to all Passerines, and even that not of much value, is that the outward
toe is united to the middle one in a more or less extended manner.
Their food consists of seeds, insects, and fruit. They live singly or
in pairs; they fly gracefully and easily; their walk consists of a
leap; and they build their nests and take their rest under the thick
foliage of trees, or under the eaves of buildings.
In this extensive group we find most of the songsters whose melodious
voices so charmingly wake the echoes of the woodlands. Some of them have
even the gift of imitating to a certain extent the human voice, as well
as the cries of wild animals. Many are remarkable for their brilliant
plumage; others are appreciated for their delicacy on the table. Man has
reduced numbers of them to comparative tameness, but has altogether
failed in bringing them to a domestic state.
Cuvier divides the _Passerinæ_ into five great families--the
_Syndactyles_, _Tenuirostres, Conirostres, Fissirostres_, and
_Dentirostres_. The first is based on the structure of the feet; the
other four on the formation of the bill. But this classification is very
arbitrary, as it is not always possible to assign a place to certain
groups by an inspection of the beak alone. We shall, however, follow
this distribution, as being that generally adopted.
SYNDACTYLES.
The _Syndactyles_ (having the toes united) have the external toe nearly
as long as the middle one, and united to it up to the last articulation.
The birds which constitute this group have little analogy with each
other, the physical characters which we shall have occasion to notice
being purely artificial as a means of classification. The family
includes the Hornbills (_Buceros_, Linn.), the Fly-catchers
(_Muscicapidæ_), the King-fishers (_Alcedo_, Linn.), the Bee-eaters
(_Merops_, Linn.), and the Momots (_Prionites_, Ill.).
The HORNBILLS, or CALAOS, are remarkable for their enormous development
of beak, which is long, very wide, compressed, and more or less curved
and notched, and in some species surmounted by a large helmet-like
protuberance. This immense beak is nevertheless very light, being
cellulose, as in the Toucans. The Hornbills have in some respects the
bearing of the Crow: this led Bontius to class them among the Crows,
under the name of Indian Crow (_Corvus indicus_). They walk with
difficulty, and their flight is clumsy, their favourite position being
on a perch at the summit of lofty trees. Great flocks of these haunt the
forests of the warmer regions of the Old World, especially Africa,
India, and the Oceanic Archipelago. They build their nests in the
hollows of trees. They are omnivorous, and the fruits, seeds, and
insects of those regions are their principal food; yet they feed also on
flesh. In India they are domesticated, their services in destroying rats
and mice being much appreciated. The plumage of the Hornbill is black or
grey, of various shades; but there is a species described by Dr. Latham
and Dr. Shaw, under the name of the Crimson Hornbill, which Mr. Swainson
thinks may prove to be a link between Toucans and Hornbills, and thus
combine the beauty of plumage of the former with the peculiarity of form
of the latter. Their flesh is delicate, especially when fed on aromatic
seeds. Many species are described, varying in size, among which the
Rhinoceros Hornbill (_Buceros rhinoceros_), Fig. 200, is the most worthy
of notice. This bird is so named from the singular protuberance with
which its bill is surmounted: this is a smooth horny casque or helmet,
curving upwards from the bill, somewhat resembling the horn of the
rhinoceros. It is a native of India and the islands of the Indian Ocean.
[Illustration: Fig. 200.--Rhinoceros Hornbill (_Buceros rhinoceros_,
Gould).]
The FLY-CATCHERS (_Muscicapidæ_) are a family of insectivorous birds,
many of which are British, comprehending, according to Temminck, the
Todies (_Todus_), distinguished by long, broad, and very flat bills,
contracting suddenly at the tip. Characteristics:--Tail short, slender,
and rounded; legs long and weak; toes short, the outer one more or less
united to the middle one. _T. viridis_, the only species, according to
Temminck, has a bright green plumage above, whitish beneath; a scarlet
throat; sides rose colour; and the tail-coverts yellow. It is a native
of South America and the Antilles; and Sir Hans Sloane, under the name
of "Green Humming-bird," describes it as "one of the most beautiful
small birds he ever saw." Mr. Browne states that it is a familiar little
bird, and will often let a man come within a few feet to admire it
before becoming alarmed. "It keeps much about the houses in country
parts," he adds, "flies slow, and probably may be easily tamed."
It lives almost entirely on the ground, feeding on insects, which it
catches in the evening. It builds its nest in the crevices on river
banks, or in the soft rocks, in which it hollows out a dwelling by means
of its bill and feet.
The KING-FISHERS (_Alcedo_), the Martin-fishers of some authors, form a
highly interesting group, of which _Alcedo ispida_ (Linn.) is the only
known species indigenous to Britain. M. Vigors finds an intimate
resemblance between them and the Todies. The King-fishers are very
singular birds. Their bill is strong, straight, and angular, being of
immense length compared with their size; the tip of both mandibles
acute; the commissure perfectly straight; the head strong and elongated;
wings and tail of moderate size; tarsi short, and placed far back (Fig.
201). The King-fisher (_A. ispida_) has behind each eye a patch of light
orange brown, succeeded by a white one; from each corner of the mandible
proceeds a line of rich blue, tinged with green; the crown of the head
is deep olive green; the feathers are tipped with a verdigris shade;
chin and throat with yellowish white; breast, belly, and vent with
orange brown; tail a bluish green; shafts of the feathers black; and the
legs a pale brick red. This beautiful bird is as interesting in manners
as in appearance. Living on the banks of rivers, they feed almost
exclusively on fish. The King-fisher watches patiently from a fixed
station, generally a naked twig overhanging the water, or a stone
projecting above the surface, for its prey: in this position it will
sometimes wait for hours, absolutely immovable. When the fish comes
within reach, with great rapidity it pounces upon it, seizing it in its
powerful mandibles, and after destroying it by compression, or by
knocking it against a stone or the trunk of a tree, it swallows it head
foremost. When fish is scarce it feeds also upon aquatic insects, which
it seizes on the wing. Its aërial movements are rapid and direct, but
weakly maintained, being performed by a series of quick, jerking beats
of the wings, generally close to the surface: the action of the wings is
so rapid as to be scarcely perceptible. The short tarsi render the
King-fisher a bad walker.
[Illustration: Fig. 201.--King-fishers (_Alcedo ispida_, Linn.).]
The King-fisher is a solitary bird, living generally in secluded places,
and is rarely seen even with birds of its own species, except in the
pairing season. Like the Todies, they build their nests in the steep
banks of rivers, either in the natural crevices, or in holes hollowed
out by water rats; and these dwelling-places are generally disfigured by
the fragments of their repast. Father and mother sit alternately, and
when the young are hatched they feed them with the produce of their
fishing. The bird has a shrill and piercing note, which it utters on the
wing. Their flesh is very disagreeable.
The King-fisher is the Halcyon of the ancients, who attributed to it
after death the power of indicating the winds. The seven days before and
the seven days after the winter solstice were the Halcyon days, during
which the bird was supposed to build its nest, and the sea remained
perfectly calm. To its dead body the attributes of turning aside
thunder-bolts, of giving beauty, peace and plenty, and other absurdities
were ascribed. Even now, in some remote provinces of France, the dead
birds are invested with the power of preserving woollen stuffs from the
attack of the moth; hence they are called Moth Birds by drapers and
shopkeepers. They are inhabitants of almost every region of the globe,
and comprehend a great number of species, spread over Asia, Africa, and
America.[32] Europe possesses one species not larger than a Sparrow, and
which is remarkable for the rich colouring of its feathers. What,
indeed, can surpass the brilliancy of the King-fisher as it suddenly
darts along some murmuring brook, tracing a thread of azure and emerald?
Some authors separate the King-fishers, properly so called, or riverside
birds, from the Bee-eaters and other Fissirostral birds, which, while
they resemble each other in many physical characteristics, differ
essentially in their habits; in short, while the one haunts the river,
feeds upon its inhabitants, and nests upon its margin, the other keeps
to the woods and forests, feeds upon insects, and builds in holes in
trees.
[32] In China a great number of species are to be found, all robed
in the most brilliant plumage, nine of which we have collected.--ED.
The _Ceyx Meninting_ of Lesson (_Alcedo Biru_ of Horsfield) very closely
resembles the King-fisher of Europe in its habits; it darts in short,
rapid flight along the surface of lakes and rivulets, emitting shrill,
discordant sounds; it perches on trees on the river banks, and feeds on
small fishes and aquatic insects. The tarsus is smooth, the inner toe
suppressed; in other respects its habits are those of the King-fisher.
The BEE-EATERS (_Meropidæ_) have the beak long, thin, slightly curved,
and pointed, the mandible having a trenchant edge; the tarsi short; the
wings long and pointed; the tail well developed, tapering, or forked.
They are slender, light, and clamorous; their cries are incessant, while
they skim through the air on rapid wing with well-sustained flight.
Their name of Bee-eaters they take from their principal food, which
consists of various Hymenoptera, especially bees and wasps. They seize
their prey either on the wing, like the Swallows, or they hide
themselves at the opening of their hives, and snatch up all that enter
or depart. They are skilful in avoiding their sting. Living together in
numerous flocks, they rapidly clear a district of wasps and wild bees.
They build their nests in the banks of rivers or rivulets, in holes
which they excavate to the depth of six or seven feet. Some species are
highly esteemed as table delicacies by the French.
[Illustration: Fig. 202.--Common Bee-eater (_Merops apiaster_, Sw.).]
The Bee-eaters inhabit the warmer regions of the Old World, such as
Bengal, the west coast of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, Morocco, and
Malta. One species alone is found in Europe, the Common Bee-eater
(_Merops apiaster_), Fig. 202. From the coast of Africa it migrates in
small flocks into the countries skirting the northern shores of the
Mediterranean. Some individuals proceed into France, Switzerland, and
Germany; others spread themselves over Turkey and the southern parts of
Russia. In England it is occasionally met with in Cornwall, Devonshire,
and along the Hampshire coast. It has been shot in the Mull of Galloway.
In France it arrives in the month of May, and remains but a short time.
As a rule it rarely ventures further north than the South of France.
The MOMOTS (_Prionites_, Illiger) are birds still very imperfectly
known. They are remarkably massive in form, heavy and slow on the wing.
They are placed by systematists near the Toucans (_Ramphastos_), from
similarity of habits, and especially from the structure of the tongue,
which is in both long, and so much ciliated at the sides as to resemble
a feather. The feet, however, are totally different from those of the
Toucans. In the Momots the beak is long, robust, and crenated at the
edge. They are very wild, and lead an isolated life in the thick forests
of South America, where they build in holes in trees.
[Illustration: Fig. 203.--Momot (_Prionites_, Sw.).]
TENUIROSTRES.
The Passerine Tenuirostres are characterised by a long slender beak,
straight or curved, but always without indentation. They are
insectivorous, and comprise the Hoopoes, Humming-birds, Creepers, and
Nuthatches.
The HOOPOES (_Upupa_, Linn.) have the beak long, slender, triangular,
and slightly curved. This group, which Mr. Gray designates the
_Upupidæ_, includes a number of birds whose general form presents the
greatest analogy, but which possess their own peculiarities of plumage
and special physiognomy. This has necessitated its subdivision into
sub-genera, of which the Hoopoes (_Upupa_), the Promerops (Brisson), and
the Epimachus are worthy of notice.
[Illustration: Fig. 204.--Hoopoes (_Upupa epops_, Linn.).]
The Hoopoes are easily recognised from the double range of plumes which
form an arched crest on their head, which they have the power of raising
at pleasure. These feathers are, in the Common Hoopoe, of a ruddy buff
colour, tipped with black. They are solitary birds, living by preference
in low grounds and humid places, where they prey on the worms, insects,
and terrestrial mollusks. They are migratory, and are occasionally found
in the British Islands in autumn: instances have occurred of their
breeding there. They take their departure for warmer regions in
September. They have a light and graceful walk, and nearly pass their
existence on the ground, rarely perching, and flying with visible
effort. They have no song, and only utter two notes, which may be
rendered by the syllables _zi, zi; houp, houp_. They nest in the clefts
of rocks or walls, and in holes in the trunks of trees. When captured
young, they become very tame, and seem to be susceptible of great
attachment to those who take care of them.
The Hoopoe (Fig. 204) is found in summer as far north as Denmark and
Sweden; and southward, in France and Italy, at Gibraltar and Ceuta, and
in Egypt, where it breeds, as it probably does over Northern Africa. It
has been seen occasionally at Madeira, and is abundant at Trebisond,
whence it comes every year to pass the summer season in Europe. During
the spring and summer it abounds all over France. At the period of its
departure--that is to say, in the month of September--it is plump enough
to be a choice morsel for the table, as its flesh is very delicate.
The EPIMACHUS are remarkably beautiful birds. When at maturity the
side-feathers develop themselves in delicate lines or elegant panicles,
while their plumage, richly coloured, is brilliant with diaphanous
metallic reflections. Little is known of their habits. They are natives
of Australia and New Guinea. The very remarkable species, _E. multifil_
(Fig. 205), has six long fillets on each side of its body. The equally
striking species, _E. magnus_, has the elongated side-feathers raised
and curling, of a glittering steel blue, azure, and emerald green; the
breast and belly lustrous with the same diaphanous tints. This bird is
an inhabitant of New Guinea.
[Illustration: Fig. 205.--Epimachus (_Epimachus multifil_).]
The PROMEROPS are distinguished from the other _Upupinæ_ by the absence
of the crest, by their very long tail, and by their forked and
extensible tongue. They are natives of Africa, and their habits, like
those of the former, are little known.
The _Colibri_ of Cuvier may be divided into Humming-birds
(_Trochilidæ_), or species having the beak straight, and true _Colibri_,
having the beak curved. With this slight difference, the _Trochilidæ_
and _Colibri_ closely resemble each other. They have the same slight,
elegant figure, the same brilliancy of plumage, and the same
habits--describe the one, and you describe the other. We must be
permitted, therefore, to treat of them together.
The HUMMING-BIRDS (_Trochilidæ_) are the most lovely of the winged race.
Nature seems to have endowed them with her rarest gifts. In creating
them she surpassed herself, and exhausted all the charms at her
disposal; for she imbued them with grace, elegance, rapidity of motion,
magnificence of plumage, and indomitable courage. What can be more
delightful than the sight of these little feathered beauties, flashing
with the united fires of the ruby, the topaz, the sapphire, and the
emerald, flying from flower to flower amid the richest tropical
vegetation? Such are the lightness and rapidity of some of the smaller
species, that the eye can scarcely follow the quick beat of the wings.
When they hover they seem perfectly motionless, and one might fancy they
were suspended by some invisible thread.
Specially adapted for an aërial life, they are unceasingly in motion,
searching for their food in the calyx of flowers, from which they drink
the nectar with so much delicacy and address that the plant is scarcely
stirred. But the juice and honey of flowers, as some authors affirm, are
not their only food--such unsubstantial diet would be insufficient to
sustain the prodigious activity displayed almost every moment of their
existence.
The tongue of the Humming-bird is a microscopic instrument of marvellous
arrangement. It is composed of two half-tubes placed one against the
other, capable of opening and shutting like a pair of pliers. Moreover,
it is constantly moistened by a glutinous saliva, by which it is enabled
to seize and hold insects--an arrangement not without its analogy in the
Woodpeckers.
Proud of their gay colours, the Humming-birds take the greatest care to
protect their plumage. They frequently dress themselves by passing their
feathers through their bills. Their vivacity often amounts to petulance,
and they frequently manifest belligerent propensities not to be expected
in such minute creatures. They attack birds much larger than
themselves, harassing and pursuing them without intermission,
threatening their eyes, and always succeeding in putting them to flight.
They frequently contend with each other. If two males meet on the calyx
of a flower, bristling with anger, and uttering their cry, they rush on
one another. After the conflict is over the conqueror returns to reap
the reward of his valour.
[Illustration: Fig. 206.--Nest of Humming-bird.]
The nest of the Humming-bird (Fig. 206) is a masterpiece. It is about
the size of half an apricot. The materials are brought by the male, and
arranged by the female. These consist of lichens, and are most
artistically interwoven, the crevices being closed up with the bird's
saliva: the interior is padded with the silky fibres furnished by
various plants. This pretty cradle is suspended to a leaf, sometimes to
a small branch, bundle of rushes, or even to the straw roof of a hut.
The hen bird lays twice a year a pair of eggs of a pure white, about the
size of a pea.
After an incubation of six days the young are hatched; a week later they
are capable of flight. During the breeding season the males are tender
and demonstrative, and both parents show much affection for their
progeny.
These little creatures are universally admired for their elegance and
beauty, and the names given them are generally descriptive of their
excessive minuteness. The creoles of the Antilles call them Murmurers;
the Spaniards _Picaflores_; the Brazilians _Chupaflores_, or
Flower-suckers; finally, the Indians call these darlings Sunbeams.
Humming-birds are much sought after--not for their flesh, which is
valueless from its minute quantity, but for their feathers: these ladies
turn to various uses, such as collars, pendants for the ears, &c. Some
of the Indian races which have been converted to Christianity employ
them to decorate the images of their favourite saints. The Mexicans and
Peruvians formerly employed them for trimming mantles. The French
soldiers who shared in the Mexican expedition report that pictures with
the feathers of the Humming-bird are fresh, brilliant, and effective.
Humming-birds cannot be preserved in captivity--not that they do not
become familiar and affectionate, but their extreme delicacy unfits them
for confinement, and in spite of the utmost care that can be bestowed on
them, they will die in a few months. In their habitat they are killed
with very small shot or with the _sarbacane_: if desired alive, they are
taken with a butterfly net.
Among the most formidable enemies of the _Trochilidæ_ may be reckoned
the Monster Spider (_Mygale avicularia_), which spins its web round
their nests, and devours eggs or little ones; even the old birds are
sometimes its victims. Humming-birds are scattered over the whole of
South and North America, even as far north as Canada; but in Brazil and
Guiana they are most abundant. At least five hundred species are known.
Cuvier included them in his genus _Colibri_. Mr. Gould has described
three hundred of which he has actual specimens; these he divides into
fifty-two genera. Among the more remarkable species we may note the
Topaz-throated Trochilus (_T. pella_, Gould), a native of Brazil; the
Sickle-winged Humming-bird (_Trochilus falcatus_, Sw.); Gould's
Humming-bird (_Ornismya Gouldii_, Less.); the Double-crested
Humming-bird (_Trochilus cornutus_, Wied.); Cora Humming-bird (_Ornismya
cora_, Less.); the Giant Humming-bird, which attains the size of the
Swallow; the Dwarf Humming-bird, whose size does not exceed that of a
bee; the Bar-tailed Humming or Sapho Bird of Lesson (Fig. 207), a native
of Eastern Peru; and the Racket-tailed Humming-bird, so named from the
shape of its tail, which spreads out at the extremity in the form of a
racket.
[Illustration: Fig. 207.--Bar-tailed Humming-bird (_Trochilus
sparganurus_, Lesson).]
The CLIMBERS (_Scansores_, Vig.) among birds, such as the Woodpeckers,
are characterised by an arched beak and a stiff pointed tail. The
family comprehends several genera and sub-genera, of which the principal
are the Climbers, properly so called, as the Creepers (_Certhia_), the
Wall-Creepers (_Tichodroma_), the Picumnus, the Furnarius, the Sucriers,
the Soui-mangas, and the Nuthatches (_Sitta_).
[Illustration: Fig. 208.--The Creeper (_Certhia familiaris_, Linn.).]
The CREEPERS (_Certhia_) are small Climbing birds which live and build
their nests in the holes they bore in the trunk or in the natural
hollows of trees: the insects to be found under the bark are their food.
Looking at the form of their slender beak, it is difficult to imagine
how it can penetrate the hard covering of an oak, for which they exhibit
a marked preference. The Tree-Creeper (_Certhia familiaris_) is spread
over nearly every European country, and is very common in France. The
Wall-Creeper (_Tichodroma muraria_, C. Bonap.), called also Wall-Climber
(the _Grimpereau des Murailles_ of French authors), owes its name to its
habit of climbing the walls of dwellings. Supporting-points are not
found in their tails, as in the Woodpeckers. Grasping the tree with
their claws, they assist their feet by a slight movement of the wings.
They feed on insects, and lead a solitary life on the mountains, only
descending into the plains with the early frosts of winter. They are
found diffused over all the South of Europe.
The PICUMNUS (_Climacteris picumnus_, Temm.) have form and habits very
similar to the Creeper, but the beak is stronger and more boldly curved.
They are natives of Brazil and Guiana.
[Illustration: Fig. 209.--Furnarius (_Furnarius_, Lesson).]
The FURNARIUS (_Furnarius figulus_, Spix.) live singly or in pairs in
the plains of Chili, Brazil, and Guiana. They feed principally on seeds,
but also on insects. They take up their residence with much confidence
in the neighbourhood of man. Their nests (Fig. 209) are remarkable for
their construction, being in the form of an oven, whence their name.
This structure it builds upon trees, on palisades, or on the window of a
house. It is remarkable for its size as compared with its inhabitant,
measuring not less than from twelve to fourteen inches in diameter; it
is entirely formed of clay, and the interior is divided by a partition
into two compartments, the outer and inner, the latter being that in
which the female lays her eggs. The male and female alternately bring
small balls of earth, out of which the edifice is constructed, and they
labour so industriously that it is sometimes finished in two days. Some
species construct their nests on trees, interlacing them with spiny
branches, and providing one or many openings; that of the _Annumbi_ is
fifteen inches in diameter by twenty inches in height.
The SUCRIERS (_Cinnyridæ_) are American birds, so called from their
attachment to saccharine substances. They feed on honey they extract
from flowers, and the sap from the sugar-cane, the juice of which they
suck through crevices in the stem. Like the Humming-birds, they have the
tongue divided into two parts, by which they are enabled to seize
insects, which form a part of their food. They are small in size, and
their plumage is brilliantly coloured. Among the _Cinnyridæ_ we find the
_Guits-guits_, ingenious little creatures which construct a nest in the
form of a horn, which is suspended from the flexible branches of a
shrub: in order to protect their young from the attacks of earwigs, the
opening is below.
[Illustration: Fig. 210.--Sun-birds (_Certhia chalybeia_, Linn.).]
The SOUI-MANGAS (Fig. 210) have the same partiality for sugar exhibited
by the last, justifying their name, which signifies "sugar-eater" in the
Malagash tongue. They are natives of Southern Africa and India, and
represent in the Old World the Humming-birds of the New. They are gay
and sprightly, and decked in the most brilliant colours. Like the other
_Cinnyridæ_, they love to plunge their tongue into the corolla of
flowers and extract its sweets. Their most brilliant colours are
displayed in the breeding season.
The NUTHATCHES (_Sitta_), Fig. 211, have the beak straight, pyramidal,
and pointed, covered at the base with small feathers directed forward;
the long toes are furnished with claws strong and crooked; their habitat
resembles that of the Creepers. The Nuthatch is found in Oceania.
[Illustration: Fig. 211.--Common Nuthatch (_Sitta europæa_, Gould).]
CONIROSTRES.
The _Conirostral Passerinæ_ are characterised by a strong, robust beak,
more or less conical, and without notches. They are generally
granivorous, but some species are insectivorous or carnivorous. This
group includes the Birds of Paradise, Crows, Rollers, Starlings,
Sparrows, Tits, and Larks.
The BIRDS OF PARADISE have the beak straight, compressed, and strong,
the nostrils covered with velvety feathers. In brilliancy of colouring,
and in graceful, pendent, gossamer-like plumage, they take precedence in
the feathered creation.
They have a very restricted habitat, being only found in New Guinea,
Ternate, and in the island of Papua, situated to the north of Australia:
there they dwell in the thick forests, feeding on fruit and insects.
Occasionally they are found living in solitude, but more frequently are
to be met in large flocks, altering their residence with the change of
the monsoon.
Their flight is very swift, and has been frequently compared by
Europeans resident in the East to that of a Swallow; in consequence,
they have bestowed on the Bird of Paradise the name of Swallow of
Ternate.
[Illustration: Fig. 212.--The Great Emerald (_Paradisea apoda_, Linn.).]
It is owing to the long lateral plumes, which they most perfectly
control in the air, that they are so buoyant; at the same time, this
unusual amount of plumage almost entirely stops their progression
against a head wind.
When the Bird of Paradise was first spoken of in Europe few believed
that it existed. Nor is this to be wondered at, when we remember that it
was affirmed that these gorgeous birds were without legs, and hung on to
the branches of trees by their long aërial plumes; that the female
deposited her eggs under the feathers on the back of the male; that
they passed the breeding season in Paradise; and many other stories
equally absurd.
The inhabitants of Papua capture these birds, for their plumage is of
great commercial value. The method they adopt is to place themselves in
the tops of the highest trees: when thus concealed, they attract the
birds within reach of their blow-pipes by whistling.
The Birds of Paradise are divided by Vieillot into _Parotia_,
_Lophorina_, _Cincinnurus_, and _Samalia_. The most remarkable among
these is _Paradisea apoda_, the Great Emerald, as it is sometimes called
(Fig. 212), the throat and neck of which are of a bright emerald green,
from which circumstance it has received one of its popular names, while
on its sides are shaded tufts of yellow feathers which float on the
breeze, forming an elegant aërial plume, and giving the bird a meteor
look as it shoots through the air. They live in flocks in the vast
Papuan forests. When prepared for migration--for they change their
quarters with the monsoons--the females assemble in small flocks on the
tops of the loftiest trees, and utter their call to the males, each
flock of fourteen or fifteen being attended by one male.
[Illustration: Fig. 213.--King Bird of Paradise (_Cincinnurus regius_,
Vieillot).]
The King Bird of Paradise (_Paradisea regia_, Linn.), Fig. 213, is an
inhabitant of the Molucca Islands, where it is scarce. Little is known
of its habits. The beak, which is furnished at the base with small
feathers pointing forward, is slender, convex, and slightly compressed
at the sides. The hypochondrial feathers are broad, elongated, and
truncated.
In the Superb (_Lophorina superba_), Fig. 214, the beak is furnished
with elongated feathers, extending half its length; the feathers of the
neck, rising just behind the head, expand into a wing-like form.
[Illustration: Fig. 214.--The Superb (_Paradisea superba_, Latham).]
[Illustration: Fig. 215.--Golden-throated Sifilet (_Paradisea aurea_,
Gmelin).]
In the Sifilets (_Parotia_) the beak is furnished with short feathers
for half its length, and is slender, compressed laterally, notched and
curved at the tip; they have long, broad, and loose plumes covering the
sides and abdominal part. Of this group the Gold-throated Sifilet of
Buffon (_Parotia sexsetacea_, Latham), Fig. 215, is a fine example. It
obtains its name from the three thread-like feathers on each side of the
head expanding into a lancet shape at the extremity, and which form a
very striking ornament.
The birds which constitute the CROWS (_Corvidæ_) are characterised by a
very strong beak with cutting edges, broad at the base, flattened
laterally, and hooked towards the point; the nostrils covered with stiff
feathers directed forward; also by strong claws and long pointed wings.
They are divided into four groups or sub-genera--namely, _Corvus_, the
Crows properly so called; the Magpies (_Pica_); the Jays (_Garrulus_);
and the Nut-cracker (_Nucifraga_).
The genus _Corvus_, as limited by modern naturalists, comprehends the
Raven (_C. corax_, Lesson), the Carrion Crow (_C. corone_, Temm.), the
Royston Crow (_C. cornix_, Selby), the Rook (_C. frugilegus_, Linn.),
the Jackdaw (_C. monedula_, Linn.).
All these species have in many respects the same characteristics, the
same aptitude, and the same habits. With the exception of the Raven and
Magpie, which live in pairs, the others reside together in large flocks,
whether they are in quest of their daily food or roosting at night. They
are all possessed of the same intelligence, the same cunning, the same
mischievous habits, the same gift of imitation, though in different
degrees, and the same provident habit of amassing provisions in secret
places. This last peculiarity in tamed birds degenerates into a mania,
which leads them to carry off and hide everything that attracts their
attention, especially gems and bright articles of metal. The whole group
are susceptible of domestication.
The Crows, especially the Raven and the Carrion Crow, are pre-eminently
omnivorous. Living or dead flesh, fish cast up on the shore, insects,
eggs, fruit, seeds--nothing comes amiss to them. Their depredations are
enormous. Thus Ravens, not content with raising a tribute on moles,
wood-mice, and leverets, venture into poultry-yards, and without
ceremony appropriate chickens, ducklings, &c. Buffon even asserts that
in certain countries they fasten upon the backs of buffaloes, and after
having put out their eyes, devour them. As for the Carrion Crows,
according to Lewis, it is certain that they attack the flocks in Scotch
and Irish pastures. Lastly, all Crows delight in digging up newly-sown
ground, eating with avidity the germinating seed. On this account the
agricultural population are generally their bitterest enemies,
destroying them when opportunity offers. In certain parts--Norway, for
instance--laws were made ordering their extermination. But this policy
was short-sighted: if they did harm, they also did good, for the
quantity of noxious grubs and larvæ formerly devoured by them, and
consequently kept in check, became most formidable foes to the farmer,
and most difficult to overcome. How is it that men will not use their
brains--that they actually destroy the animals provided by a bounteous
Creator, and whose utility is most conspicuous?
The flesh of the Raven and the Carrion Crow exhales a very bad odour,
doubtlessly caused by the quantities of putrid animal matter they
consume; consequently, it is unfit for human food. Not so, however, with
the Rook. This bird, when taken young, is not only eatable, but by some
deemed a delicacy.
Crows possess a vigorous and sustained flight; they have a keen sense of
smell, and excellent vision. By exercising these latter qualities they
become aware where food is to be obtained, and as they wing their way
towards it they constantly utter their cry, as if inviting their
companions to join them: this croak, as it is called, is very harsh and
dissonant. The plumage being of a sombre funereal black, and the voice
so unmusical, have doubtless been the reasons why they have long been
considered birds of ill omen. When taken young, they are tamed with
great facility, even to permitting them to go at large, for they will
neither rejoin their own race nor desert the neighbourhood where they
have been kindly treated. True, they may go into the fields to seek for
food, but when the increasing shadows predict the approach of night,
their familiar resting-place in the house of their protector will be
sought. They become much attached to those who take notice of them, and
will recognise them even in a crowd. Their audacity and their malice are
incredible. When they take an antipathy to any one, they immediately
show it. They suffer neither cats nor dogs to approach them, but harass
them incessantly, tearing from them their very food. Finally, they
choose secret hiding-places, where they store up all that tempts their
cupidity or excites their covetousness. They even learn to repeat words
and phrases, and to imitate the cries of other animals. These facts are
confirmed by numerous anecdotes related by naturalists of undoubted
veracity.
Pliny speaks of a Raven which established itself in one of the public
places of Rome, and called out the name of each passer-by, from the
emperor to the humblest citizen. We have all laughed heartily at the
recital of an adventure which happened to an awkward horseman who lost
his seat, while a Raven perched on a branch of a tree above him cried
out with solemn voice, "How silly!"
Dr. Franklin thus speaks of a Raven of his acquaintance which had been
brought up at a country inn:--"It had," he says, "great recollection of
persons, and knew perfectly all the coachmen, with whom it lived on the
greatest intimacy. With its special friends it took certain innocent
liberties, such as mounting on the top of their carriage and riding out
with them until it met some other driver with which it was on terms of
similarly close friendship, when it would return home." The same Raven
had unusual sympathy with dogs in general, and especially those which
happened to be lame. These it loaded with the most delicate attentions,
keeping them company and carrying them bones to gnaw. This excessive
kindness to animals which are rarely in the good graces of Ravens arose
from this bird having been reared along with a dog, for which it
entertained such strong regard, that it attended it with unremitting
assiduity when it had the misfortune to break its leg.
The same author mentions another Raven which was captured in Russia, and
came to be confined in the Jardin des Plantes, of Paris. It recognised
Dr. Monin when he stopped accidentally before its cage. It had belonged
to him ten years before, and when brought before its old master it
leaped upon his shoulder and covered him with caresses. The doctor
reclaimed his property, and the bird was henceforth an ornament to his
house near Blois, where it learnt to address the country-people as
"great hogs." Dr. Franklin raised one of these birds himself which
showed wonderful powers of imitation. "He called himself Jacob.
Sometimes it made such a noise at the bottom of the stairs that you
could only imagine it was caused by a party of three or four children
quarrelling with great violence; at other times it would imitate the
crowing of a cock, the mewing of a cat, the barking of a dog, or the
sound produced by a rattle for frightening away birds from a
wheat-field; then a silence would ensue; but soon after the crying of a
child of two years of age would be mimicked; 'Jacob! Jacob!' its own
name, probably it would then call, repeating the cry at first in a grave
tone, then with shriller intonation and more vociferously; again another
silence; but after a pause, a man seems to knock at the gate; if it is
opened, enter Jacob, who runs about the room, and finally mounts on the
table. Unfortunately, Jacob was a thief--and that was not his least
fault; spoons, knives, forks, even plates, disappeared, with meat,
bread, salt, pieces of money--especially if new; he carried off
everything, and hid all in some secret hole or corner. A washerwoman of
the neighbourhood was accustomed to dry her linen near our window,
fixing the clothes on the line with pins; the bird would labour with a
perseverance truly wonderful to detach these, the woman chasing him off
with bitter maledictions about her fallen linen; but he would only fly
over into his own garden for safety, where he would indulge in a few
malicious croakings. One day I discovered, under some old timber,
Jacob's hiding-place. It was full of needles, pins, and all manner of
glittering objects."
Mr. Charles Dickens was partial to keeping Ravens in his youth, and has
related some of his experiences in the preface to "Barnaby Rudge." He
had two great originals. "The first was in the bloom of his youth, when
he was discovered in a humble retreat in London and given to me. He had
from the first, as Sir Hugh Evans says of Anne Page, 'good gifts,' which
he improved by study and attention in a most extraordinary manner. He
slept in a stable--generally on horseback--and so terrified a
Newfoundland dog by his preternatural sagacity that he has been known,
by the mere superiority of his genius, to walk off unmolested with the
dog's dinner from before his face. He was increasing in intelligence and
precocity when, in an evil hour, his stable was newly painted. He
observed the workmen closely, saw that they were careful of their
pigments, and immediately burned to possess some of them. On their going
to dinner, he ate up all they left behind, consisting of a pound or two
of white-lead. Alas! this youthful indiscretion terminated in death.
"Whilst yet inconsolable for the loss, another friend of mine," adds Mr.
Charles Dickens, "discovered an older and more gifted Raven at a village
inn, which he prevailed upon the landlord to part with for a
consideration. The first act of this sage was to administer to the
effects of his predecessor, by disinterring all the cheese and halfpence
he had buried in the garden--a work of immense labour and research, to
which he devoted all the energies of his mind. When he had achieved this
task, he applied himself to the acquisition of stable language, in which
he soon became such an adept that he would perch outside any window and
drive imaginary horses all day long, with great skill in language.
Perhaps I never saw him at his best, for his former master sent his duty
with him, and said, 'if I wished the bird to come out very strong, to be
so good as show him a drunken man;' which I never did, having
(unfortunately) none but sober people at hand. But I could hardly have
respected him more, whatever the stimulating influence of this sight
might have been. He had not the least respect for me, I am sorry to say,
in return, or for anybody but the cook, to whom he was attached--but, I
fear, only as a policeman might have been. Once I met him unexpectedly,
about half a mile off, walking down the middle of the public street,
attended by a pretty large crowd, and spontaneously exhibiting the whole
of his accomplishments. His gravity under this trying ordeal I never can
forget, nor the extraordinary gallantry with which, refusing to be
brought home, he defended himself behind a pump until overpowered by
numbers. It may have been that he was too bright a genius to live long,
or it may have been that he took something pernicious into his bill, and
thence into his maw--which is not improbable, seeing he new-pointed the
greater part of the garden-wall by digging out the mortar, broke
countless squares of glass by scraping away the putty all round the
frames, and tore up and swallowed in splinters the greater part of a
wooden staircase of six steps as well as the landing--but after some
three years he was taken ill, and died before the kitchen fire. He kept
his eye to the last upon the meat as it roasted, and suddenly turned
over on his back with the sepulchral cry of 'Cuckoo.'"
Crows (_Corvus_) are universally diffused over the globe. The Raven
(_Corvus corax_), Fig. 216, and the Carrion Crow (_Corvus corone_), are
sedentary birds, and never voluntarily abandon the place they have
elected for their home. The Hooded Crow (_Corvus corone_), the Rook
(_Corvus frugilegus_), and the Jackdaw (_Corvus monedula_), are
migratory in their habits, only visiting the countries of Southern
Europe on the approach of winter. The Royston Crow (_Corvus cornix_)
inhabits the lofty mountain regions of Europe, descending into the
plains during winter. Finally, the Senegal Crow (_C. senegalensis_,
Temm.) is exclusively confined to Africa.
[Illustration: Fig. 216.--The Raven (_Corvus corax_, Lesson).]
The MAGPIES are distinguished from the Crows by their shorter wings,
longer tail, and by their variegated plumage; but for this difference,
they greatly resemble the previously described in appearance and habits.
Like the Crows, they are omnivorous, but they generally avoid dead prey;
they have the same desire, whether in the wild or domestic state, to
store away provisions and hide glittering objects. Their instinctive
habit of appropriating all sorts of plunder is one of the causes of
their popularity. Every one has heard the true story on which the drama
of _The Maid and the Magpie_ is founded--how Ninette was accused and
pronounced guilty of robbing her master, and when executed found to
have been innocent, the true culprit being the pet Magpie of the house.
The Magpie is a bold, impudent bird, which is easily put to flight by
man, but will fearlessly harass a dog, a fox, or any of the smaller
birds of prey. Having caused one of these to retreat, it pursues it
vigorously, rousing by its cries all the birds of its kind; and what
with its own energy and the combined efforts of its kindred, it
generally succeeds in utterly discomfiting the intruder. Its action is
unceasing, its movement short and jerky; but it is heavy on the wing. It
cries and chatters incessantly. Hence the proverb to "chatter like a
Magpie." It builds its nest of withered shrubs, dry sticks, and sand, on
the highest branch of some lofty tree, it is and equally remarkable for
its form, size, and solidity. This fabric has many beginnings: the
foundation of the last and permanent structure is laid with infinite
precautions, to avert observation. This care is taken, according to M.
Nordmann, in order to mislead those who are spies on its actions; for it
is in this last nest that the female deposits her eggs. If this fact
were clearly established, it would show a great amount of cunning in the
bird.
The Magpie lays seven eggs, which the parent birds hatch with care, each
bird sitting alternately. They show great attachment to their progeny,
and continue to exercise their protection and solicitude until the young
are well advanced towards maturity.
The Magpie is tamed with facility, and soon becomes familiar,
assiduously following its master everywhere, and eagerly seeking his
caresses, so that it is necessary sometimes to shut it up to get rid of
its importunities. It readily learns to repeat a few words, "mag" being
the favourite in its vocabulary. The ability to pronounce words is said
to be increased by extending the soft fibrous slit which binds the lower
part of the tongue to the palate. But, compared with the beautiful
glossy bird of the thicket, the domesticated Magpie, draggled and
mutilated, is a miserable-looking object.
The Common Magpie (_Pica melanoleuca_), Fig. 217, abounds in all parts
of the world. Cultivated valleys with natural or artificial woodlands
on their slopes; low ground diversified with fields; pastures and moors
partially covered with plantations; fertile plains fenced in with
wooded hedgerows, and studded with farm-houses and cottages, are the
type of landscape they prefer. In spring plumage the Magpie is a fine
bird, the feathers of the back being of velvety black, while the breast
and a part of the wings are pure white.
[Illustration: Fig. 217.--Common Magpie (_Corvus pica_, Linn.).]
In the Brazils and Paraguay we find another species, whose whole plumage
is a fine cerulean blue, with the exception of the head and throat,
which are black. In China there is also a Magpie of beautiful
cobalt-blue plumage; its two centre tail feathers are very long, barred
with black, and tipped with pure white; the bill and legs are red. It is
extremely shy, and occasionally seen in flocks. By the inhabitants it is
frequently taught to speak.
The JAYS (_Corvus glandarius_) have short bills, which are slightly
notched at the tip; head rather large; feathers on the upper and
anterior part of the head erectile when the bird is irritated; those
feathers at the base of the upper mandible are stiff, with short barbs.
It is not less shy than other members of the family, although it
frequents gardens, where it feeds on beans and peas, of which it seems
to be particularly fond. Its food, however, is not confined to fruit and
vegetables, as it picks up worms, insects, the eggs of small birds, and
crustacea, after the manner of Crows and Magpies. Naturally irascible
and quarrelsome, they are nevertheless easily tamed when taken young,
and soon learn to pronounce a few words. They abound in Europe and the
Indies. The European Jay (_Garrulus glandarius_), Fig. 218, is a pretty
bird of soft and blended plumage, the feathers of the fore part of the
head elongated, oblong, and erectile: its general colour is a delicate
brownish red tinged with grey, approaching to purple on the back. The
most conspicuous trait of the plumage is the patch of ultramarine blue,
banded with blackish blue, on the primary coverts.
[Illustration: Fig. 218.--European Jay (_Garrulus glandarius_, Belon).]
[Illustration: Fig. 219.--The Nut-cracker Crow (_Nucifraga_, Briss.).]
The American variety of Jay is not quite as large as the European
representative. Its plumage is less brilliant. In characteristics they
are much alike, being equally mischievous and dreaded by the smaller
feathered denizens at the period of nesting.
The NUT-CRACKER (_Nucifraga caryocatactes_) is furnished with a long,
strong, and straight bill, with which it can penetrate under the bark of
trees when in search of insects, and open the cones of firs and pines,
on the kernels of which it feeds; failing these, it eats the hazel-nut
and wild fruit, from which circumstance its name is derived. They
inhabit the mountain forests of Europe and Asia, building their nests in
the trunks of trees, to which they are capable of clinging, but not of
climbing.
[Illustration: Fig. 220.--European Roller (_Galgulus_, Briss.).]
The ROLLERS (_Coracias garrula_), Fig. 220, have in their general
appearance and habits considerable resemblance to the Jays; but they
differ from the beak being more robust, and the nostrils uncovered; they
are also more timid, withdrawing into the thickest parts of the woods,
which are their favourite haunts. When taken young from the nest it is
tameable. Dr. Meyer, of Offenbach, and others, have succeeded in rearing
them; but although they become so tame as to know those who attend to
their wants, they never grow familiar. Their favourite food consists of
insects and their larvæ, worms, and the smaller reptiles; but in their
absence they feed on berries, seeds, and certain roots.
The bill of the Roller is black towards the point, becoming brown at the
base, with a few bristles; the irides are formed of yellow and brown
circles; the head, neck, breast, and belly present various shades of
bluish verditer, changing to a palish green; the plumage of the upper
part of the body is a brilliant azure blue on the shoulders, and reddish
brown on the back; rump feathers purplish. Wing primaries dark bluish
black, lighter on the edge; tail feathers pale greenish blue. They
abound in Europe, Africa, and Southern Asia. Although the natural
habitat of the bird is oak and beech forests, M. Vieillot tells us that
in Malta, where trees are scarce, the bird nests on the ground. In
Barbary it has been observed to build on the banks of the rivers, and
Pennant observes that where trees are wanting it builds its nest in
clayey banks.
[Illustration: Fig. 221.--Starling (_Sturnus vulgaris_, Swainson).]
The STARLINGS (_Sturnidæ_) are characterised by a straight bill,
depressed towards the point. They are remarkable for their vivacity, and
grave, sombre plumage, lit up with brilliant metallic reflections of
green and blue. They are sociable birds, living in numerous flocks,
being, says Selby, "particularly abundant in the fenny parts of
Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, where they roost among the reeds.
Before retiring to rest they perform numerous manoeuvres in the air, the
whole colony frequently describing rapid counter-flights round a common
centre. They will sometimes continue repeating the eccentric evolutions
for half an hour before they finally settle for the night." Their
favourite food is seeds and berries, and occasionally insects, worms,
and small terrestrial mollusks. They choose for their nests
well-protected places, such as the hollows of decaying trees, crevices
of walls, the belfries of old churches, the ledges of roofs, and
sometimes even the interior of pigeon-houses. The nest is formed of dry
grass, in which it lays five light blue eggs. The Starling is accused of
seeking the shelter of the dovecot for the purpose of sucking the
inhabitants' eggs, but this is now found to be a calumnious error." They
are diffused over all quarters of the globe. There are two species
described among European birds--_Sturnus vulgaris_ (the Common
Starling), and _Sturnus unicolor_ (the Sardinian Starling), which is
black, and without spots, with the anterior feathers very long,
tapering, and drooping from the base of the neck. It is found in Algeria
among the rocks, where it builds. It passes the winter on the African
coast of the Mediterranean, in company with the Common Starling. Its
flesh is bitter, and consequently unpleasant to the taste, but it is
sought after for its docility, and for the ease with which it is taught
to speak.
[Illustration: Fig. 222.--The Pensile or Baltimore Oriole (_Icterus
baltimorus_, Wood).]
The BALTIMORE ORIOLES (_Xanthornis baltimorii_, Sw.) have the bill broad
at the base, nearly conical and pointed; the upper mandible has the
dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge narrow, the sides flat and
sloping at the base. They are chiefly American birds, and have
considerable resemblance in form and habit to the European Starlings.
Like them, they are sprightly, light, and very rapid on the wing, live
together in large flocks throughout the year, feeding on seeds, berries,
and especially insects, and frequently committing ravages on cultivated
fields and orchards. Some of this genera exhibit remarkable industry and
skill in the construction of their nests: the most ingenious represents
a kind of purse, about a yard in length and a foot in diameter, the
mouth or entrance being placed sometimes at the upper extremity,
sometimes on the side. Naturalists have subdivided them into many
smaller groups or genera, the most important being the one here
described, and which may well be taken as an example. They are confined
entirely to North America.
[Illustration: Fig. 223.--The Beef-eater (_Buphaga africana_,
Levaill.).]
The BEEF-EATERS (_Buphagus_, Briss.), Fig. 223, owe their name to a
singular habit they have of lighting on the backs of ruminating
mammalia, and picking off the insects or extracting the larvæ of OEstri
which infest them--an operation which cattle submit to with great
pleasure. Their food is not confined to the larvæ of the OEstri; they
feed also upon the wood-bug and locusts: hence they are likewise called
Locust Hunters. They generally unite in small flocks of six or eight.
They are very wild, and take flight with a sharp cry of alarm on any one
approaching their haunts.
Among the congeners of the Beef-eater may be placed the Colius (Briss.
and Linn.), which, like that bird, is an inhabitant of Africa. They are
small, about the size and shape of the Yellow-hammer, and have a tuft on
the head. They live in flocks of from twelve to twenty, which nest in
common, and feed on fruit and young birds. According to Levaillant, they
creep on the branches of trees, with the head downwards; and, strange to
say, even sleep in this peculiar position, pressing one against the
other. Their flesh is said to be very delicate.
[Illustration: Fig. 224.--Crossbills (_Loxia curvirostra_, Linn.).]
The CROSSBILLS (_Loxiadæ_) are remarkable for the form of their bill,
the mandibles being compressed and recurved, crossing each other in
contrary directions, the terminations being hooked, forming an
instrument admirably adapted for dividing the scales of fir-cones so as
to disclose the germs, which are favourite portions of their food. They
are sometimes found near orchards, feeding on the kernels of apples,
which their bill readily cuts. They are said to commit great ravages on
the fruits of Normandy when they pass through that province, which they
annually do in great flocks. This family present this peculiarity, which
is almost unique among birds--that they build their nests and lay at all
seasons. The Crossbills haunt the wooded mountains of the North of
Europe and America.
[Illustration: Fig. 225.--Grosbeak, or Hawfinch (_Loxia coccothraustes_,
Linn.).]
The SPARROW (_Passer_) is, perhaps, the best-characterised genus among
the Passerine Conirostres. In it are included a great number of species
with bills more or less thick at the base. Coming to the most remarkable
of them, we have the Grosbeak (_Fringilla coccothraustes_, Temm.), Fig.
225, which is the type of the genus, for it is distinguished by the
possession of a bill which is about three-quarters of an inch long, not
less than half an inch in thickness at the base, and of immense strength
when the size of the bird is considered, which scarcely exceeds that of
the Thrush. It feeds on seeds, berries, and insects; the kernels of the
hardest fruit cannot resist the powerful implement with which it is
provided. Widely diffused throughout Europe, it is always met with in
England during autumn, continuing with us till April, but it has not
been recorded as breeding here. It is constantly found in France, where
it appears in open country or woods, according to temperature. It is a
quarrelsome and unsociable bird; and if placed in confinement with
others, it will undoubtedly maltreat, and perhaps kill them.
The Americans possess many species of _Fringilla_, some of them having
plumage of a fine rose colour.
[Illustration: Fig. 226.--Bullfinches (_Loxia pyrrhula_, Penn.).]
The BULLFINCHES (_Pyrrhula vulgaris_, Gould), Fig. 226, are pretty
little birds. Their cheeks, breast, and belly are a bright crimson,
shaded with orange red; grey round the shoulders, with black head. They
feed on various kinds of seeds or berries. They are easily tamed, being
of a gentle, docile disposition. Their attachment to their master, and
the ease with which they are taught to pipe, are their principal
recommendations. In their natural state they construct their nest in the
most inaccessible part of the thicket, usually in a black or white thorn
bush. This is composed of small dry twigs, lined with fibrous roots.
[Illustration: Fig. 227.--Siskins (_Fringilla spinus_, Penn.).]
The SISKIN (_Carduelis spinus_, Yarrell), Fig. 227, may be mentioned
among the numerous songsters which charm with their melodious notes. It
is very pretty, although less richly coloured than the Goldfinch and
others, its congeners. It is neat and compact in form; its bill
resembles that of the Goldfinch, but is more compressed, the two
mandibles in some specimens meeting only at the base. The plumage is
soft, blended, and glossy.
The HOUSE SPARROW (_Passer domesticus_, Yarrell), Fig. 228, is among the
most interesting of the Passerinæ. It abounds all over Europe, from its
most southern regions up to extreme north.
Every one is acquainted with this little bird; lively, pert, and
cunning, the true _gamin_ of the winged race. It lives in flocks in the
neighbourhood of dwelling-houses, and even in the heart of large towns;
it is familiar, but its familiarity is circumspect and sly. It haunts
our streets and public places, but is careful to keep men and boys at a
respectful distance. It has a notion that the friendship of the great is
dangerous, and its prudence counsels it to avoid intimacies which might
have troublesome consequences; it is only after multitudinous proofs of
good offices that the Sparrow will form an unreserved treaty of
friendship with man. The Sparrow quoted by Buffon, which not only
followed its soldier master everywhere, but would recognise him from all
the others in the regiment, proves they are both intelligent and capable
of affection.
[Illustration: Fig. 228.--House Sparrows (_Fringilla domestica_,
Penn.).]
Sparrows are eminently sociable, seeking their food and building their
nests near each other, whether it be in crevices of walls or under the
eaves of houses, in hedges or trees, or in the deserted nests of
Swallows, which they have the effrontery to appropriate. In their nest,
which is a bulky, soft, and warm structure, lined with wool, bristles,
and hair, the female deposits from four to six eggs three times a year;
their fecundity is consequently very great. They are omnivorous, but
prefer seeds and the larvæ of insects to all other food.
Oceans of ink have flowed to prove the ravages committed by Sparrows on
the corn-fields, and to demonstrate that they should be exterminated by
the farmer. But it is now generally agreed that the Sparrow is a
benefactor, and belongs to the list of useful birds. Have we not seen in
the Palatinate that after the Sparrow was proscribed and exterminated,
the inhabitants were under the necessity of reimporting them in order to
arrest the ravages of insects, which, in consequence of this bird's
absence, had multiplied in a frightful manner?
[Illustration: Fig. 229.--Goldfinches (_Fringilla carduelis_, Linn.).]
[Illustration: Fig. 230.--Linnets (_Fringilla linota_, Penn.).]
The GOLDFINCH (_Carduelis elegans_, Yarrell), Fig. 229, is at the same
time the most gentle and peaceful of birds, and one of the prettiest of
European races. It has the back brown, the face red, with a bright
yellow spot upon each cheek; its voice is full, sweet, and harmonious;
it is exceedingly docile, easily tamed and raised as a cage-bird; in the
aviary it soon becomes familiar, testifying great attachment to those
who take charge of it; it readily learns to sing and go through various
exercises, such as drawing up the vessel containing its food and drink,
firing a miniature cannon, and other similar tricks.
The LINNETS (_Linota cannabina_, Yarrell), Fig. 230, have considerable
analogy to the Goldfinch. They are, like them, extremely sociable,
except at the period of incubation; that duty over, the individuals
begin to muster in small flocks towards the end of autumn, which
increase as the winter advances, when they betake themselves to
sheltered districts, and to the neighbourhood of villages and
farm-houses in search of food. They associate with various species, such
as the Mountain Linnet, Green Linnet, and other small birds. The nest of
the Linnet is generally placed in a bush of furze or heath. It is a neat
structure, formed externally of blades of grass intermingled with moss
and wool, and lined with hair of various kinds; sometimes with
thistle-down. The female lays from four to six eggs, of an oval form,
colour bluish white, marked with distinct spots of brownish black,
purplish grey, and reddish brown. Should the nest be destroyed during
incubation, the pair will build again, and lay two or three sets of eggs
if needful; but the male is said to take no part in the building or
incubation, although he watches the female with great solicitude,
supplying her with food during the process.
The Linnets feed principally on hemp and linseed, whence their popular
name. In the winter season, in the absence of their favourite food, they
attack the young buds of trees, and pick up the stray seeds about
farm-yards. Their song in confinement is remarkably sweet, brilliant,
and varied, but will not compare with the thrilling voice of the
Blackbird or Thrush. The species are numerous, both in Europe and
America, but there is a tendency to reduce their number, and to regard
them as seasonal varieties of the species under consideration.
The CHAFFINCH (_Fringilla coeleb, Linn.)_ Fig. 231, lives in flocks,
except when breeding, like the Goldfinch and Linnets. But they differ
from these members of the group in this--that their wing is less
compact, and that they disperse themselves more in search of food than
their congeners. Chaffinches are met with all over Europe, either as
birds of passage or as permanent residents. They feed on various kinds
of seeds and larvæ of insects, the latter of which they obtain in the
early mornings of summer and autumn by searching the lower surface of
the leaves of oak, ash, and other trees. They inhabit indifferently the
woods, gardens, or high mountain ridges. In the early days of spring the
mellow, modulated "tweet, tweet, tweet" of the Chaffinch is exceedingly
pleasant to hear; but its monotony is apt to fatigue, for its eternal
refrain makes it seem an affectation of gaiety, whence probably the
French proverb, _Gai comme un pinson_.
[Illustration: Fig. 231.--The Chaffinch (_Fringilla_, Gesner).]
[Illustration: Fig. 232.--Canaries (_Carduelis canaria_, Wood).]
The CANARIES (_Fringilla canaria_, Linn.), are only known by us as
cage-birds, where they are recognised by their yellow plumage, more or
less varied with green, although the facility with which they breed
with the Linnet, Goldfinch, and others of the group, has introduced
great varieties of colouring. Originally from the Canary Islands, they
were first imported into Europe in the fifteenth century, and such was
the charm of their song, added to their natural docility and gay
plumage, that every one was eager to possess them. Buffon says, in his
elegant manner, that if the Nightingale is the songster of the woods,
the Canary is the chamber musician. Their race propagates, moreover, so
rapidly that the poorest can afford to possess them; for these elegant
little creatures are to be found among every grade of society, pouring
out their joyous melody in the garret of the poor workman with as much
energy as in the gorgeous saloons of the wealthy.
[Illustration: Fig. 233.--Whidah Finch, or Widow Birds (_Emberiza
paradisea_, Linn.).]
There are two distinct species of the Canary, the Plain and Variegated,
or, as the bird-fanciers designate them, the Mealy, or Spangled, and
Jonquils; but between these innumerable varieties have sprung up from
cross-breeding with the Goldfinch, Linnet, and Siskin. These
cross-breeds are often charming songsters; but, like all mules, they are
completely sterile. Bechstein is of opinion that our Domestic Canary
has a cross of the Siskin in it: this belief for a long time existed,
but most naturalists now are of opinion that the Siskin belongs to a
different genus.
The WIDOW BIRDS, or WHIDAH FINCHES (_Vidua_, Sw.), Fig. 233, are among
the most remarkable of the hard-billed, seed-eating birds to which they
belong. The long, drooping tail feathers which adorn the males in the
breeding season give them a very singular appearance. The upper part of
their plumage is of a faded blackish brown, assuming a paler hue on the
wings and lateral tail feathers. The whole body is tinged with this
faded black, gradually narrowing as it descends to the middle of the
breast; a broad, rich orange-brown collar proceeds from the back of the
neck, uniting with a tinge of the same colour on the sides of the
breast, this last hue passing into the pale buff colour of the body,
abdomen, and thighs, and the under tail coverts being of the same colour
as the upper ones--a hue to which the bird is indebted for its popular
and scientific name. The tail feathers are black; the four lateral ones
on each side slightly graduated, and rather longer than the one
immediately above. The next two are the long, drooping feathers,
externally convex, so conspicuous in the male bird, which, in fine
specimens, measure a foot in length from base, and about three-quarters
of an inch in width. The body of the bird is about the size of a Canary.
They are natives of South Africa and Senegal.
Near to the Widow Birds in the system we may place the Java Sparrow,
Rice Bird, or Paddee Bird of the East Indies and Eastern Archipelago
(_Fringilla oryzivora_, Sw.), Fig. 234. They are eagerly sought for as
pets, in consequence of their brilliant plumage, and the facility with
which they learn innumerable tricks.
The WEAVER BIRDS (_Ploceus_, Cuvier) close the series of _Fringillidæ_.
They live in flocks in the interior of Africa, where they feed on the
cereals and the young of weaker birds. They chirp, but have no song; and
they owe their name to the inimitable art which they display in
constructing their nests. These vary in form according to the species,
and are composed of grass, rushes, and straw. They are usually suspended
from the branches of a tree, the entrance being below. Sometimes they
are spiral-shaped, occasionally round; in fact, they are of every
imaginable outline. Mr. Swainson describes the nest of a species of
_Loxia_ built on a branch extending over a river or a pool of water,
shaped like a chemist's retort suspended from the head, while the shank
was eight or ten inches long, at the bottom of which was the entrance,
all but touching the water.
[Illustration: Fig. 234.--Java Sparrows, or Rice Birds (_Loxia
oryzivora_, Linn.).]
Another species of the _Ploceinæ_ construct their nests in a clump under
one roof or cover, each nest having a separate entrance on the under
side, but not communicating with that next it. Another variety is said
each year to attach a new nest to that of the previous year, and nothing
is more picturesque than these groups of nests thus suspended to the
branches of a tree.
But the most curious of birds, in respect to nidification, are the
Republican Weaver Birds (_Loxia socia_, Latham). These establish
themselves, to the number of five or six hundred, upon the same tree,
constructing their nests under a common roof, the one backing against
the other, like the cells of a bee-hive, all living together in the
happiest manner.