black cap by a black head and neck). I got this bird from a

man who kept it in a room with a number of Canaries ; it had

nothing but canary seed to eat, and occasionally a little lettuce;

it bolted the canary seed whole, and was in perfedt health. I

bought it from him and kept it for three years when it escaped.

It wintered out in England in an open aviary and always used

to eat a lot of canary seed. This curious variety is peculiar to

the Island of Madeira and to the interior of the great crater on

the Island of “ Ea Palma,” Canaries. It is popularly supposed

by the peasants to be the product of the fifth egg of a Blackcap l

No hen of this variety has been seen.


The Blackcaps which winter in England live principally

on the fruit of the cotoneaster, and in the extremely severe

weather of Januaiy and February of 1895, one lived 011 the

myrtle-berries on my house until the tree was suddenly cleared

by the starving Missel Thrushes. The first arrivals of this bird

in March have often severe weather to contend with. They live

on ivy-berries. Prom this I infer that fruit in some form must

always largely enter into the dietary of the Blackcap.



BREEDING IN THE OPEN AIR AT MICKLEFIELD

VICARAGE, 1897.


By the Rev. C. D. Farrar.


Month after month I have opened the Magazine in the

hope of seeing a record of breeding operations in some aviary

or other ; but so far in vain.


Before commencing an account of my 1897 operations, I

may say in passing that birds and trees are still compatible, in

fact the latter never looked better, and as there are some 150

birds among them they have had a fair trial.


Then again, it may interest members to know that

mealworms have not proved “ too stimulating.” May be the

stomachs of my young birds are specially made for digesting

such unwholesome morsels !


And once more, Popes and Virginian Nightingales are not

the murderous wretches they are often said to be.


I may say in passing, that in one of my garden aviaries

I have had all the present season, Virginians, Popes, Green

Cardinals, Blue Robins, and Brown-headed Starlings, and no

murders have been committed, and yet there have been lots of

chances in the form of helpless young birds in all directions.


Now for the breeding-record of this year, so far.



