36



Mrs. Burgess — My Birds



lovers of this bird often keep their birds in a very luxurious cage, as

as I have mentioned in my previous article, “ Quail-breeding in

Japan.” The Japanese Bush-warbler is often fed in the same manner

as the other insectivorous birds, with a worm which lives in the stem

of the cotton plant or wild vine.


The next to mention is the Japanese Robin, which is a very active

manly bird with a strong loud melodious song, and some bird-lovers

prefer this bird to the Bush-warbler. As this bird is very bold it is

soon tamed, and often we meet with these birds tamed. They sing

their song as soon as they see the owner’s hand wave over the top of their

cage. In their wild state they live in the dark silent woods of a

mountain ravine, so we have better results by keeping them covered

uj) than by not using the cover. This bird is rather delicate in

summer.


We have the following species of Robin : the Temmincks’ Rohm,

Eastern Robin, Ruby Throat, Siberian Blue Robin, Indian Stone-chat,

Japanese Accentor, Japanese Blue Fly-catcher, and Narcissus Fly¬

catcher.


As I have mentioned in the article on Hard-bills in this paper, the

Japanese feed the Bunting on the soft food. Among the Buntings

the following species are commonly seen in captivity : the Japanese

Bunting, the Japanese Yellow Bunting, the Yellow-throated Bunting,

and the Japanese Meadow Bunting. All these Buntings are very good

songsters, especially the Japanese Bunting and the Japanese Yellow

Bunting. The Reed Bunting and the Japanese Reed Bunting are also

appreciated by the Japanese, and the Chestnut Bunting is often

imported from China.


[To be continued.)



MY BIRDS


By Mrs. Burgess


Reading in the Magazine that Mr. Seth-Smith had seen the Red-

beaked Tree Hoopoe of South Africa when first imported, it may be of

a little interest to our readers to hear that I bought these birds. I am

unable to say much about them because on arrival they at once took



