394 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND HRITISH BIRDS 



lu';iHh, it has not. had a clay's illness, and is 

 nearly always in song, e\en during Ihe nioull." 

 Some might say this bird is an exeeplion 

 rallier than the rule, hul I\lr. Mays goes on lo 

 say, '■ Personally I do not consider (lohl (j-esls 

 at all dillicult to kee]) ; they are (lifHcull to 

 get on to food when first eaught ; l)ut onee 

 oyer Ihal I liave never had any trouliie. I 

 ha\c (inly losi two all Ihe years I have kept 

 them ; one through the neglect of an olfieial 

 at a show to give the bird water. They are 

 most merry aiul active pets. 1 like lo give them 

 a roomy cage, and as a staple diet 1 part ants' 

 eggs, 1 pari dried flies, 1 part powdered plain 

 biscuit, and 1 part Brand's meat meal, mixed 

 together. Occasionally I add a little preserved 

 yolk of egg (not hard boiled), also a little 

 ground silkworm pupa'. I also often sprijikle 

 a few ants' eggs on top of the waU'r in Ihe 

 I)ath ; they appear to enjoy taking them from 

 the surface of the water. .\s live food 1 give 

 a tew meal-worms cut up into several pieces, 

 also gentles, when in season, especially in the 

 chrysalis state. Gold Crests are also \ery 

 fond of house flies, and of bathing, and I gi\e 

 them a bath all the year round. I kee]) a 

 slender branch of fir in the cage, which 

 they appreciate as a perch." A similar cage 

 to that reconunended for the Tils answers 

 well for this bird ; but it must be very closely 

 wired. The food and water are best given 

 inside ; if the arrangements arc as for Ihe 

 Warblers, feeding and drinking holes in llu> 

 wire through which (he bird niighl esea])e are 

 thereby avoided. 



The b'ire-Grest Wren. Rcgulus ignicai>U!iis 

 (Mary.), is a much rarer bird Ihan Ihe preceding;, 

 and dill'ers from il in Ihal il 

 is only a winter \isilant to our 

 Isles. II is seen chiefly in the 

 southern and laslern ((lunties, arri\ing Iji 

 .Se|)leMiber, anil leaving again in A|)ril. lis 

 habits are similar lo (hose of Ihe Gold Crest, 

 and greater numbers nuiy visit us Ihan are 

 sup|)osed, owing to ils similaril>- In Ihe Gnld 

 CresI, and ils consorting with thai bird. The 

 chief dilTerence between Ihe birds is thai llic 

 crest ot llie l-'ire-Crest Wj-en is, as ils name 

 indieaU's. of a richer orange or lire-like linl. 

 II is turlher disi iiiiiuisliable li\ Ihi' \cllow 

 patch on each side nt Ihe iieck. II has a 

 decided while eyebi'ow. and a black sl reaU 

 between the gape and the eye extending bi'yond 

 the eye, and another black strii)e running fnun 

 the gape below the eye on lo Ihe lower porlion 

 of the cheek. The cresI ut Ihe female is similar 

 in colour hi Ihal (it Ihe G<ild Crest ; but llie 

 three black bands on each side of (he head and 

 face always serve lo dislinguish il from thai 

 bird. It is a lillle larger iu size, bul Ibis 



The Fire= 

 crest 'Wren 



The 

 Nuthatch. 



dilfei-ence is chiefly accounted for by its length 

 of tail. 'I'he ilii-eel ions tor Ihe management of 

 the Cold Crest are e(iuallv a|)plicable to this 

 bird. 



The Xulhalch. sillti nrsiii {Mciiri]. family 

 Silliila-. holds an inlernu'diate position between 

 Ihe Cree]iers and Tils, and is 

 ■I resident t>[ lirilain. It is 

 very beaut ilul ; the general 

 colour above is light slaty-blue shading lo 

 grey on parts ; a black streak extends from 

 the eyes on to the neck, expanding as it travels 

 lo the neck. The jirimary feathers of the 

 wing are dusky brown, the secondaries and 

 coverts slaty-blue ; the tail blue, except the 

 centre fcalhcrs, which are dark brown and all 

 tipped with whili'. and increasing in size 

 tnwai'ds the outer sides ; the under tail coverts 

 are while ; the cheeks and throat ashy while ; 

 the remainder of the under surface is umber- 

 brown running to a rich chestnut on the flanks. 

 The bird is scarcely 6 inches in length, the 

 male bird being the larger of the two. The 

 female's bill is longer and more slender Ihan 

 her consort's. The Nuthatch is a rather shy 

 bird, and ils habil nf elind)ing like (he Wdoil- 

 peeker on the trunks of trees in seareli of 

 insects, enables it lo keep well concealed from 

 view if there are any hiding spots at hand. 

 Indeed if Virginia cork is so arrangeil in the 

 Nuthatch's cage or aviary that the bird can 

 get behind it you will see lillle of it exee]it its 

 head, or when it comes out lo teed. With ils 

 incessant activity it is the most interesting of 

 birds in an aviary. If given a nut it is very 

 anmsing lo iu)tice wi(h \\hal adroitness the 

 n\il is fastened inio a crack nt Ihe cork or son;c 

 erann\', in order Ihal il may break Ihe sliell 

 rniii'e readily. When wild the Nuthaleli feeds 

 iKil only on insect life bul upon almost every 

 \ariely of nut — especially beechniast lieiriis, 

 ami si'cds. In eonlinemeid it should be fed 

 n|>(in llie kernels nt mils, and becchmasl when- 

 ever (ililainable slioiilil lie gi\en; a few henii) 

 seeds will also alTord the bird amiisenuiil by 

 husking the kernels. A good inseelixorous 

 tnnd. such as that recommended for the \\rer.s, 

 shnnid be jii\en as a slaple tnnd. made eriimliiy 

 mnisi \\\\\\ enid walei- snllieienl tni' each da>'s 

 ennsuni|il inn ; a lillle liniled pnlain nr linely 

 miiieed hearl ot lei luce may also be mixed 

 Willi il li\ \\a\ of a change, and live insects 

 and Lirubs ot any kind, inebiding gentles, will 

 all help lo inaki' a pertecl diet, and thereby 

 keep Ihe bird in t;ood heallh and plumage. 

 A show-eagi' of a similar pattern to that used 

 for Woodpeckers, bill iinl quite so lofty, answers 

 well. 



The Wren. Tmiilndi/tcs jKiri'tilus {\ciiii)n), 

 l-'ainily Tnifilodi/lidu', familiarly called .lenny 



