258 THE ARBOUR BIRD. 



BREEDING. The nest of the arbour bird is one of those that are so well 

 and curiously formed, commonly placed eight feet above the ground, in 

 the fork of a tree. It is built of pieces of the white bark of the birch tree, 

 dried plants, caterpillars' webs, wool, and the upper layer of down. All 

 these white materials give it the appearance of being made of paper. It is 

 lined with the finest hay. The female lays five eggs, which are at first 

 of a pale rose red, but after having been sat upon some days acquire a 

 dark flesh-coloured tint, speckled with dark red. This species has but 

 one brood in the year, and if the nest is approached two or three times it 

 will desert it, whether the young ones are hatched or not. 



If a person wish to have this pleasing bird in the house, as it is often 

 seen in Hesse, he must take the young ones early from the nest, feed them 

 on ants' eggs and bullock's heart chopped small, and always keep them in 

 a warm place. As soon as the arbour bird has been placed in the situation 

 destined for it, it must be left there constantly ; its cage ought not to be 

 changed, at least there should be no difference in the one given it after- 

 wards, as without this attention it becomes sad, eats no longer, and dies in 

 a short time. I may observe here, that it moults in December or January, 

 whence we may infer that it passes the winter in a southern climate. 



DISEASES. These are the same as the nightingale's. 



MODE OF TAKING. This can rarely be accomplished but by placing 

 limed twigs on the nest, which is a cruel method, and the nest is oflen 

 deserted as soon as it has been approached. Neither will these birds go to 

 the water-trap : they may be caught occasionally in bird-traps in August, 

 by baiting them with currants*. The surest way then is to take them 

 young, especially as the old ones cannot be tamed. 



ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES. The song of the arbour bird is sweet, varied, 

 full of power and melody, long sustained ; yet some harsh strains have 

 been remarked, and some resembling the notes of the chimney swallow. 

 Whilst singing its throat is much dilated. Its call is dak, dak ! hyome, 

 hyovie ! Its plumage is pretty. 



ACCOUNT OF THE ARBOUR BIRD, FROM THE " FIELD 

 NATURALIST'S MAGAZINE." 



" British writers, since the time of Pennant and White, have 

 rendered the history of several of our smallest birds a mass of 

 confusion, which even now it will be difficult to clear up, 

 though I feel confident I possess the means of loosening two at 

 least of the knots of the controverted points, as I shall pre- 

 sently show. 



" When I was residing, in the summer of 1832, at Bonn, on 

 the Rhine, my friend M. Wichterich brought me a pair of 

 birds with their young, which at first sight, judging from colour 

 and size, I took to be pale canaries, till I looked at their bills; 



* Most certainly a mistake. TBANSLATOR. 



