when one examines the detail of their workmanship one cannot

fancy that they are either durable or easily kept clean.


I fear I have trespassed too largely on the space of our

Magazine in the hope of encouraging other aviculturists to

spend a few hours as pleasantly as I have often done at the

Jardin d’Acclimatation.



AN OLD WIFE’S TALE.


(For thu Children).


By the Rev. J. E. Kuusaul.


Once upon a time, not long after the war between the Beasts

and the Birds, there were three naughty cock Sparrows who would

not choose their wives when all the other birds did on St.

Valentine’s Day. The first one said “ I shall not marry one of my

cousins the hen Sparrows, because they cannot fly well enough.

I want a wife who can fly for hours without stopping.”


And so he married a Swallow, and their children are the

little brown birds that sit on the palings and catch flies in the air.

You can tell that their father was a Sparrow, because they are

brown all over, and because they like to live near houses. And } r ou

can tell that their mother was a Swallow, because they chase the

fliesin the air, and because they are too delicate to stay here in the

winter, and always fly away with the Swallows to a warmer country

in the autumn. The books call them Spotted Flycatchers, but

country people call them Beam-birds, because they make their

nests on the beam.


And the second cock Sparrow was as naughty as the first

and he said “ I shall not marry one of my cousins the hen

Sparrows, because they cannot sing well enough. I want a wife

who can sing.”


Aud so he married a Skylark. And their children are those

stupid brown birds that sit on the top of the hedge aud try to

sing, but only make a noise like this :—“Zick, zick, zick, teriddle,

iddle, iddle. ” You can tell that their father was a Sparrow

because they are brown all over and because they have thick bills.

And you can tell that their mother was a Dark, because they live

out in the fields and build their nests on the ground. The books

call them Corn Buntings, but the country people call them

Bunt Darks.


And the third cock Sparrow was as naughty as the second,

and he said “ I shall not marry one of my cousins the hen



