98 Bird-keeping. 



curiously into every crack and crevice," " singing, chat- 

 tering, quarrelling, but never resting." Their song is 

 melodious but weak, and they keep up a continual 

 twittering as they dart and swing themselves about. 



Mr. Wood relates a very interesting account of a 

 family of six tame birds whom a lady fed during the 

 winter in a large well-thatched aviary, which was open 

 during the day. These birds, a Jackdaw, Magpie, two 

 Skylarks, a Goldfinch, and a Robin, brought home 

 with them, during very severe weather, a number of 

 wild birds to share their food and shelter, and amongst 

 them were two Gold-crests, who remained in the aviary 

 till May, and ruled the whole bird community either 

 by force or craft, getting any morsel they coveted away 

 from the Jackdaw or either of the larger birds, by 

 jumping upon its head or back, and pecking it till it 

 lifted the foot which held the morsel, which was im- 

 mediately seized and carried off. If one of the Gold- 

 crests had a tough morsel of meat, the other would 

 pull off a piece, while his friend held it tightly in his 

 bill, and then would perform the same office for him. 

 There were sometimes nearly two hundred birds in 

 this aviary, feeding upon the bread, barley, and fat 

 meat provided for them by their benefactress, and the 

 two little Kinglets reigned supreme over them all, and 

 always roosted upon the backs of some of them, to 

 profit by their warmth. 



The Gold-crests make a beautiful soft warm nest, 



