39S 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



room is not iifCfssary during IIk' winter, il is 

 well to k't tliis Ijird, lilic its pifdcccssor, have 

 cosy living quarters. A suitable cage in which 

 to exhibit Wagtails is illustrated on jiage 397. 

 This should be 18 or 20 inches long, 10 inches 

 high, and lo inches deep. We like mid-green 

 enamel as well as any colour for the inside, and 

 black oulside. Tlie close arrangement of the 

 low [lerches in the middle of the cage for the 

 birds to walk over should be noted, as it enal)les 

 them to display their beauty. The food and 

 water vessels should be arranged one at each 

 end in the front of the cage and hung by a wire 

 frame on the inside of a small door. To keep 

 Wagtails in good health and plumage in a cage, 

 plenty of floor space must be allowed in the 

 regular living cage, which need not necessarily 

 be lofty, but what one nught term a "' runner " 

 adapted to the movements of these birds. In 

 shape it should be similar to the show cage, and 

 have a floor space of from 30 to 36 inches, 

 12 inches deep and 1-1 inches high ; half a dozen 

 l)erclus should be arranged close together in Ihe 

 centre of the cage, as shown in the show cage, 

 and placed at a height I hat will allow the liird 

 to pass beneath as well as over Ibem. The doors 

 at each end should be large enough to adnul of 

 a sliallciw lialh. about 9 inches by 12 inches and 

 1\ inches deep. This should be half filled with 

 clean water daily, or more often if it becomes 

 soiled, and especially in warm weather. A few- 

 ants' cocoons Ihrown on the water will alford 

 the bird much pleasure in picking them ofl'. 

 A fresh green clover sod should also be supplied 

 weekly or more often, if procurable, and llie 

 bottom of the cage strewn with clean river sand. 



As to food, that recommended for the Golden 

 Crested Wren answers well as a sta])le diet for 

 Ihe Wagtails. A liltle boiled potato, tinely 

 miiircd hcaii of lettuce, or nnislard and cress 

 can be mixcct with the sajjiily dally, and give 

 variation, besides Ik ing lieneficlal lo Ihe birds. 

 Ants' cocoons swollen lo normal size by steam- 

 ing can be given when live cocoons are not pro 

 cural)le. and live insects and grubs are always 

 accejitable. Kejit thus, the Wagtail will <'njoy 

 good health, and be a source of pleasure bir 

 years. 



The Pipits {(/cnus Aniliiis) ditTci- frcjin tlu- Wag- 

 tails in having brown, hea\ ily-streaked plumage, 

 shorter tails and more 1, ark-like api)earance. 



The Tree I'ipil. Anlltiis Iriridtis {Xni'liin), is 

 a fairly common snmmei' migrant which ai'rives 

 in .\pril .mil teases in .Septem- 

 ber. It tincils in most welt- 

 cuttJN'aled and wiicided i)arts of 

 l-^ngland, is rarer in Wales and tlic northern 

 ])arts of Scolland. and almost unluiown in Ire- 

 land. The bird is very graceful, thougli its 

 plumage is not striking. The general colour 



The Tree 

 Pipit. 



above is sandy-brown, paler on the nape ; the 

 centres of the feathers on the crown and back 

 are dark umber-brown forming into lines ; the 

 wings arc umber-brown, with primaries faintly 

 edged with greyish-wliite, and the greater and 

 lesser coverts tipped and edged with the same 

 colour, the latter of a clear tint, forming a 

 double bar across the wings. The tail is umber- 

 brown, outer feathers on each side while with 

 an oblique mark of dusky-brown on the inner 

 web ; the under parts are yellowish-white, shad- 

 ing into buff-orange on the breast and flanks ; 

 the lower throat, fore-neck, breast, sides and 

 Hanks are beautifully streaked with dark undier- 

 l)rown. The female is duller in colour, browner 

 above, paler below, whiter at throat, and the 

 breast marking is not so pronounced as in Ihe 

 male. 



The Tree Pipit's song is very pleasing, and 

 the bird, being very tameable as well as sociable, 

 will thrive in an aviary, where its graceful 

 carriage will be well displayed. It is fond of 

 walei'. and often found near a pond or stream. 

 It bailies, not dusting itself so nuu-li as the 

 Skylark. Its food, when wild, consists of insects 

 antl Iheir larv», especially flies, caterpillars ami 

 worms ; and il therefore does well for years 

 in a cage on the diet reconnnended for the Wag- 

 tails, with a supply of cateri)illars, wasp-grubs, 

 and other live food in moderation, and e\en 

 two or three gentles by way of a change. Young 

 Tree Pipits are easily hand-reared in the way 

 reconnnended for Nightingales, but if caught 

 wild just before Ihey migrate they are so easily 

 reconciled to a cage that it is quite unnecessary 

 to hand-rear them. They are excellent for ex- 

 hibition, and should be shown in the cage 

 recomnu'ndeil for Wagtails, but a size smaller, 

 say IG inches long, 9 inches high, and 9 inches 

 deep. The Wagtails' stock cage is also suitable 

 ioi- tiiese birds if made 2 feet long, wilh the 

 otiur measurements as for the Wagtails. 



The Meadow Pipit, Anthiis pnilcnsis (Mac;/.), 



is a resident, allhough many migrate south for 



the winter, and it is asserted 



The Meadow |||.,| ||,„j^^, ^y^^i^.^^ return to 



■ our shores in the s|)ring are 



iiuich brighter in plumage than those which 

 wiutei' here. II occurs throughout Central and 

 Nortl\ern lunopt^, and is eonnuon througluuit 

 the liritish Isles, es|)e(iall> in low-lying marshy 

 |)aslures and seaside commons, besides frccpuMit- 

 ing uplands in the summer. 11 was formerly 

 included with Ilic l.;iiks. and in many disli-icts 

 it is si ill known liy the name oi Titlark. It is 

 nmeh moic couunon I ban llie Tree Pipit, which it 

 somewhat resembles, though smaller, and of a 

 more decided olive-green colour on the back. 

 'I'he eyebrow, too, is a paler sandy-bnIT. whilst 

 the breast is not so bright a bull, and Ihe dark 



