THE UNIVERSAL FAMILY PAPER FOR INTER-COMMUNICATIONS ON 



NATURAL HISTORY-POPULAR SCIENCE — THINGS IN 6ENERAL. 



Conducted by WILLIAM KIDD, of Hammersmith,^ 



Author of the Familiar and Popular Essays on "Natural History;" "British Song 

 Birds; " "Birds op Passage;" "Instinct and Reason;" "The Aviary," &c. 



"the OBJECT OF OUR WORK is to make men WISER, WITHOUT obliging them to turn over folios and 



QUARTOS.— TO FURNISH MATTER FOR THINKING AS WELL AS READING." — EVELYN. 



No. 39.— 1852. 



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. 



Price 3d. 



Or, in Monthly Parts, Price Is. Id. 



BIEDS OF SONG. 



No. XXVIIL— THE BLACK-CAP. 



The silence of which we spoke last 

 week, still prevails, to a great extent, among 

 the feathered choir in the woods and in the 

 fields. The fine clear note, however, of the 

 " bird with russet coat," heard at early morn, 

 and also at " dewy eve, 1 ' tells us plainly that 

 autumn is here ; and we note his approach 

 to our hospitable dwellings, with feelings of 

 ecstatic delight. Of all birds we could least 

 spare him ; for, in the gloomiest weather, his 

 sweet song brings with it the elements of 

 " comfort." Availing ourselves of the repose 

 of Nature at this season, we will now speak 

 about the purchase of those unfortunate 

 black-caps, whose destiny has placed them 

 at the disposal of the dealers, in the Seven 

 Dials. 



The black-cap arrives here about the 

 same time as the nightingale ; but, being a 

 more shy bird, a few, only, comparatively 

 speaking, of the old birds, are made prisoners. 

 The temper of this bird, in the month of 

 April, is very variable. He is frequently 

 sulky and morose when placed in confine- 

 ment, and refuses to perch — hiding himself 

 at the bottom of his cage, and looking dog- 

 gedly stupid. As in the case of the night- 

 ingale — if captured whilst wooing his mate, 

 grief frequently strikes him suddenly dumb. 



It would be foolish for you to attempt to 

 buy such birds as these. Observe therefore, 

 very carefully, which are the most sprightly 

 and cheerful. If you find their crest erect, 

 their plumage trim, and their whole appear- 

 ance to indicate contentment, you will do 

 well to select such. You may readily recog- 

 nise the male from the female, by his having 

 a jet-black cap, or crown; that of the female 

 is a rusty brown. Do not be in any hurry to 

 complete the bargain ; but call again, and 

 again, until you hear a bird sing, and are 

 able to judge of the quality of his voice ; for 

 all are by no means alike excellent. This 



precaution is the more needful, because old 

 birds newly caught sing for a very short 

 period the first year. If you act foolishly in 

 the matter of your choice, you will entail 

 endless trouble upon yourself, and get no 

 adequate remuneration. 



The black- cap is by no means so sulky as 

 the nightingale. If you suspend his cage at 

 a moderate height, and use him to your com- 

 pany, and that of your household, he will 

 soon become reconciled. He is by nature 

 singularly joyous ; and, if you make much of 

 him, you will quickly win upon his good 

 graces. Vanity is his besetting sin — but it 

 is vanity most pardonable. After he has 

 had his bath, and finished his toilet, he is a 

 noble-looking creature. When he sings 

 freely, he will be in motion the whole time ; 

 and you will be exceedingly diverted by the 

 consciousness he evinces of his really being 

 " somebody." His voice will be heard early 

 andlate; and, as for a candle light songster, 

 " none but himself can be his parallel." 



We have before remark 3d, that unless a 

 man be an enthusiast, he never need be so 

 particular about selecting an old bird, newly 

 caught. His well-being depends so much 

 upon close personal attention, that the 

 trouble often exceeds the pleasure. We 

 would reccommend, by all means, the pur- 

 chase of " branchers," clean moulted. These 

 birds speedily become reconciled to a cage, 

 and soon break out in song. Their cost is 

 trifling, and at this season they are plentiful. 

 Some people prefer " nestlings" because they 

 are tamer ; but this is mere fancy, as they 

 are assuredly more difficult to rear. 



The advantage you obtain in keeping a 

 black -cap, in preference to a nightingale, 

 consists in the nature of the food they eat. 

 Although both birds are insectivorous, yet 

 the black-cap can, in many instances, do 

 without raw meat. Indeed, several of our 

 very best songsters preferred a diet of Ger- 

 man paste, sponge cake, hard-boiled yolk of 

 egg, and bruised hemp seed (freed from the 

 husk). Of course, as this is comparatively a 



Vol. II. 



