THE


Avicultural Magazine


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

FOR THE STUDY OF

FOREIGN & BRITISH BIRDS

IN FREEDOM & CAPTIVITY


Third Series.— Vol. XIII.—No. 4 .—All rights reserved. APRIL, 1922.


AVICULTURE IN JAPAN

By N. Taka-Tsukasa

{Concluded from p. 36.)


The Skylark is also a favourite bird in Japan. It is fed on paste

as well as on seed, and it is kept either in a small square cage just like

that of the Quail, or a tall round cage; in either case a small round table

or T-shaped perch is erected in the centre of the cage on which the bird

perches to sing its lovely song.


Though it is not numerous, we have also the Tien-tsin Lark, which is

a large bird, and it has a bill much like that of a Finch. Its colour is

light brown, with white secondaries and under parts. It is an

excellent mocker. The Brown-eared Bulbul also imitates the song of

other birds, and its own song is also not bad, but as the notes are too

noisy and too rough, it is rarely kept in a cage except for decoying

purposes. The Red-eared Bulbul is imported every year, but not in

great numbers, and it is often kept by the Japanese bird-lovers in cages

or aviaries, but I have not yet heard that it has bred in Japan. The bird

is very hardy, and can stand the cold winter nights in an outdoor

aviary.


The Black Bulbul from Formosa is rarely found in the shops of the

bird fanciers. It is also a hardy bird. Another common soft-bill is the

White-eye. This bird is very hardy and bold, so it is found in the

luxurious cage of the millionaire’s house, and also in the small bamboo

cage of the poor peasant’s hut, and in either situation it sings its high,


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