FOR CAGES AND A VI ARIES. 17 



pieces are very firmly interwoven, so that it really requires 

 an effort to separate them afterwards. The nest differs 

 much in this respect from that of the Nightingale or Robin, 

 both of which are rather loosely put together and will not 

 stand a great amount of handling; indeed they sometimes 

 collapse altogether before the young Robins or Nightingales 

 are ready to fly; but the elastic nest of the Blackcap may 

 often be found in the spring as firm and compact as it 

 was when the little builders first put it together, nearly 

 twelve months before. 



The Blackcap, like the Nightingale, is an amiable little 

 creature, and never interferes with any other bird. It is 

 amazingly fond of the berries of the ivy, which are usually 

 just ripe when it arrives, and it is curious to see the bird 

 gulp them down whole, apparently without any effort, 

 though in proportion to the size of the swallower they are 

 certainly as large as a good-sized orange would be for us. 



The young, like those of all the soft-billed species, gape 

 very widely, and the morsel given to them requires to be 

 literally thrust down the throat or they would be unable to 

 swallow it, a fact that must be borne in mind when feeding 

 them ; it is manifest therefore that some finer instrument 

 than even the most taper fingers must be used for the 

 purpose, and the forceps (p. 4) will be found invaluable 

 for the purpose. Young Canaries and other Finches close 

 their short bills on the food presented to them, but young 

 soft-billed birds cannot do this, and must have the food 

 pushed far down, otherwise it will be rejected and the 

 poor birdling be in danger of being starved. 



THE BLACK GROUSE. See under Grouse. 



THE BLACK TERN. See under Terns. 



