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her hatred to every member of the Brotogerys family : and it has been found

necessary to remove the latter to a distant room ; but even the sound of

their voices for a long time goaded her to madness. As her mistress says,

“ Cherry hates every thing with a long tongue.”


She has many pretty whistles and chuckles, and. like her human

sisters, occasionally indulges in the luxury of a good scream.


Cherry is very conscious of her own perfections, and has always been

a great flirt; and many an avine heart has she broken in her time. For

considerably over a twelvemonth, through winter and summer, the attentions

paid to her by a White Jackdaw, who deserted his wife for her sake, were

marvellous, and supremely ludicrous; but the White Jackdaw developed

into a very rough suitor, and pressed his claims so fiercely that Cherry

eventually became terrified at the spirit she had raised. To hinder her from

flviug away he used perpetually to be seizing hold of any article of Cherry’s

attire that came first to hand, which was usually the tail—so long as it

lasted; but Cherry became tailless, and promised soon to become feather¬

less ; and the old Turk had to be dismissed from the aviary. During the

last eight months or so a Hunting Cissa has been doing his best to soften

Cherry’s heart; but the arrogant beauty will not look at him ; and he is as

much afraid of her as Bailie Nicol Jarvie was of Rob Roy’s wife, and dare

not approach within some feet of her. Last spring Cherry commenced

nest-building on her own account, but all her efforts were gnawed to pieces

by some Parrakeets; the Hunter remembers this nesting business and keeps

up heait, and, from a safe distance, chuckles away at her whenever she

approaches.


If I were to write all I know, and feel inclined to write, about this

bird, I should have to keep on for another six weeks, more or less, and Mr.

Editor might protest; but I am glad to have had an opportunity, even in

this sketchy way-, of introducing to your notice our beloved Cherry.



THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS.


By Septimus Perkins.


Why do some birds migrate, while others do not ? Why do some

species leave us in hot weather when food is still plentiful, while others stay

with us late into the autumn ? These are questions with which every 7 bird-

lover has at some time or other puzzled his brains. Perhaps none of us y 7 et

know enough of the subject to give final and complete answers, y 7 et recent

researches have thrown a great deal of light on the matter.


It is quite clear that the arrival or departure of the migratory birds is

not directly influenced to any great extent by the presence or absence of

food. I mean that the true migrants do not remain in their summer quarters

until food begins to fail and then seek other climes, nor do they remain in

their winter retreat just so long, and so long only 7 , as food is scarce in the

country where they breed. Many of our summer migrants leave England

at a time when insect food is abundant; but whether food be abundant or

scarce, and whether the weather be cold or warm for the time of year, off

they go at their appointed time. But although the movements of the

migrants are not much influenced by the food supply 7 in any 7 particular year,

or any particular series of y 7 ears, yet undoubtedly the food question is the

real ultimate cause of their wanderings. This may seem a little paradoxical,

so let me explain. There was a time, not so very long ago in the geological

sense, when few (if any) of our present European birds were to be found in

Europe ; and this not because the present species were necessarily then non¬

existent, but because of the intense cold which prevailed in the Northern

Hemisphere during the glacial period. At the close of this period the

region of ice and snow gradually retreated towards the pole, and as the

climate became more endurable the birds followed on its margin, northwards.

But those which came north in the summer, tound it impossible to remain in

the winter ; they therefore wandered in search of food, and those which

flew south again, survived, and returned to the north again in the spring,

while those which flew in other directions perished. Thus, only those birds



