244 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



selves into a committee of the whole House ; 

 reported progress, and asked leave to sit 

 again." This final "sitting" will be to de- 

 cide upon the "great question" of a depar- 

 ture from our shores. An attentive ear can 

 recognise, in the voices of the migratory 

 birds, a note altogether different from any 

 hitherto uttered ; nor is it unreasonable to 

 imagine, that this " language " of theirs is 

 universally understood by every member of 

 their tribe. This restlessness will continue 

 to increase, till, in a few weeks more, we shall 

 most probably, so far as they are concerned, 

 " be left alone in our glory." 



To compensate for this great drawback to 

 our pleasures — for we must ever avow our 

 "undying" predilection for the vocal melody 

 of these foreign choristers — many of our 

 native birds come into full song immediately 

 on the departure of the others. Nor is it at all 

 difficult to get through the seasons of autumn 

 and winter, while blessed with the harmony 

 of such sweet voices. The robin, wren, and 

 hedge-sparrow, are now distinguishing them- 

 selves to admiration. The young blackbirds 

 and thrushes, too, are tuning up ; and the 

 chaffinch may be heard " pink "-ing merrily 

 in our orchards, and in the fields. As for 

 the tit- mouse — he is chanting his merry rig- 

 marole from early morn, throughout the day. 

 The sky-lark, linnet, goldfinch, and many 

 others, are preparing to join the merry throng 

 at a no distant period. 



We will now discourse of the Babillard 

 (Curruca garrula), a little bird of passage, 

 who left us about a fortnight since. Many 

 persons who have not gone closely into the 

 study of natural history, have been in the 

 habit of christening this little chorister, the 

 Lesser Whitethroat. It is, however, alto- 

 gether a distinct species, and takes its name 

 from its garrulous propensities — Babillard 

 being a French word, and its signification a 

 <' chatterer." 



The babillard is in appearance very like 

 the Peggy Whitethroat (Curruca cirierea), 

 which it resembles both in color and in 

 figure. It is, however, a much smaller and 

 more compactly-formed bird. The bill, too, 

 is shorter, the legs are darker, and, from the 

 breast downwards, it is of a much whiter 

 plumage. It is also free from the rusty 

 color on the wings, which is so observable in 

 the whitethroat. Nor does the babillard 

 assimilate much in its habits with the Avhite- 

 throat. The latter delights in green shady 

 lanes, hedges, and copses, from which it 

 seldom wanders. The former, like the garden 

 warbler, rejoices in our orchards and gar- 

 dens, where it gives unrestrained license to 

 its appetite. We seldom pass our goose- 

 berry and currant bushes (in the fruit season), 

 without finding several of these little visitors 

 h elping the gar dener " to clear the branches 



of their fruit. Some of our neighbors re- 

 sent these familiarities by the introduction of 

 a loaded gun. Such, therefore, of the poor 

 little innocents as escape assassination from 

 these churls, billet themselves upon its; so that 

 we get a double benefit. In the fruit season, 

 our grounds are regarded by our summer 

 visitors as "the refuge for the destitute." 

 We may lose something thereby, it is true ; 

 but we gain more. 



The babillard arrives amongst us about the 

 third week in April. Pie is rather a shy 

 bird in the early part of the season, but he 

 grows more familiar as the trees become 

 covered with foliage. He is a cheerful, 

 merry rogue, — never at rest, but incessantly 

 flying from bush to bush, singing the whole 

 time. His song is hurriedly given, nor can 

 you enter into its merits unless you are close 

 to the performer. It then falls sweetly and 

 melodiously on the ear. 



The affection of this bird for its young is 

 very great, and if disturbed, it will very 

 quickly entice its children to quit their nest. 

 Sometimes they disappear long before they 

 are fledged. It is really distressing to listen 

 to the outcries of the parent birds, when they 

 consider their family to be in danger of de- 

 struction. Their nest is built not far from 

 the ground. It is slightly constructed, and 

 consists externally of wool and blades of 

 goose grass ; being lined internally with the 

 fibres of roots. It is mostly found in low 

 bushes, or young fir trees. Their eggs vary 

 in number, from four to six. They are of a 

 blueish white color, with ashy and brown 

 spots at the larger end. 



In confinement, the babillard must be 

 treated just like the black-cap, and will 

 speedily become as tame. His food may, 

 for the most part, consist of German paste, 

 hard-boiled egg, and sponge cake ; but being 

 insectivorous, he must have his usual diet 

 varied with a mealworm, some ants' eggs, 

 a woodlouse, spider, and the like. Boiled 

 milk poured over his sponge cake, and some 

 grocers' currants, soaked, are amongst his 

 choicest luxuries. He is also fond of the 

 bath, which, in summer, he should have ad- 

 ministered daily. In winter it must be alto- 

 gether dispensed with, lest the cramp should 

 make its appearance. 



The proper cage adapted for this bird, is 

 that already recommended for the canary ; 

 but it might be an inch larger every way. 

 He must be kept in a warm, snug room, and 

 allowed in winter to catch a glimpse of the 

 fire. He will sing day and night, and come 

 into song in October. He moults freely when 

 kept warm ; and during this season he should 

 be treated to elder-berries and currants. 



The babillard is one of those " warblers," 

 whose powers of song can be fully appre- 

 ciated in a room only. Here he gives "proofs " 



