TODD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



281 



firm its truth. If this be the case — and why 

 not? — when you observe any bird of a par- 

 ticularly quiet and amiable disposition, set 

 him aside ; and provide him a mate in whom 

 are observable equally good qualities. We 

 can call to mind several instances in which 

 we have witnessed good results from this 

 course of action. We cannot go so far as 

 to say, that Ave think a bird's vocal powers 

 are hereditary. That is purely apocryphal. 

 In all other points the doctrine holds good. 

 Tt is a great object gained to have lively, 

 healthy, good-tempered, well-formed, and 

 handsomely -feathered birds ; and we advise 

 that under no circumstances should canaries 

 be put up for breeding that are melancholy, 

 heavy, or mopish. Sprightliness, vivacity, 

 and joyous energy, should be the prevailing 

 characteristics in every good bird. 



Fancy birds, so called, are attended with 

 much trouble in rearing, and also much dis- 

 appointment. We will briefly indicate the 

 intrinsic merits of a prize-bird, many of which 

 are exhibited at private " clubs " in London 

 and the provinces, once or more yearly. I 

 would observe, that the plumage of these birds 

 is the grand desideratum, their song being a 

 minor consideration. 



A good fancy-bird must have a clean cap ; 

 that is, the crown of his head, defined by a 

 horizontal line at the level of his eyes and 

 beak, must be of a clean yellow or white, — 

 in no respect broken or spotted with foul 

 feathers. One single foul feather renders 

 him imperfect ; though it is right to ac- 

 knowledge, that such extreme purity is rarely 

 met with. His back, wings, and tail must 

 also be equally free from yellow or white 

 feathers. To make his beauty remarkable, 

 he should be finely mottled on the back, 

 and of a fine clear yellow all below the 

 breast. 



These requirements are as essential in a 

 hen as in the male bird. There are two 

 names given to distinguish the color by. 

 The one are called "mealy," and the others 

 Jonque birds. The former have their crowns 

 and all below their breasts of a clean white 

 or pale yellow. No good breeder ever pairs 

 two mealy and two Jonque birds together. 

 A skilful eye would immediately detect any 

 offspring resulting from such a union. 



Male birds, finely spangled, as those we 

 allude to, should be paired with a "mealy" 

 hen, — for this reason : the young of all birds 

 mostly take after the father in their feathers. 

 Many of our readers will smile, when we 

 tell them that it is a practice to have a pat- 

 tern bird, drawn on card-board and highly 

 colored, which is regarded as a specimen 

 to breed by. Any failure in coming up to 

 the " standard " causes a breeder infinite 

 chagrin ! 



Before quitting this subject, we would re- 



mark that however first-rate a fancy-bird 

 may be, no entire dependence can be placed 

 on their offspring being equally perfect. 

 Blemishes of some kind frequently appear. 

 On the other hand, two birds of little com- 

 parative value often produce a very fine 

 breed. It is amusing to watch the proprie- 

 tors of these prize birds, after the public 

 annual exhibition of them is over. Every 

 bird has his cage enclosed in an air-tight bag, 

 and is carried away with as much mystery 

 as was formerly attached to the Delphic 

 Oracle. Their mistresses appear to have 

 more to do with them even than their mas- 

 ters ; and convey them away with most 

 solemn pomp of circumstance. 



We have already remarked, that these 

 forced birds are valuable for their " beauty " 

 only. They are the sport of every breath 

 of air ; and, like hothouse plants, must be 

 vigilantly tended, or they die. Nature shakes 

 her head at such doings, and approveth them 

 not. So do we, being an humble follower in 

 her ladyship's train. In the matter of a 

 cage bird, — give us Vox — si prceterea nihil ! 

 {To be continued.) 



THE BRITISH WARBLERS. 



BY THE LATE R. SWEET, ESQ , F.L.S. — NO. IV. 



We come now to notice the whinchat 

 {Sylvia rubetra). This bird, when wild, gene- 

 rally frequents commons, and places where 

 furze bushes grow, being very fond of perch- 

 ing on them. Its head is flat, and the light 

 stroke over the eyes gives it a slight resem- 

 blance to a frog, from which the specific 

 name is derived. Its song is not one of the 

 best ; still, among other birds, it makes a 

 pleasing variety. It is very easily taken in 

 a trap baited with some living insect, and it 

 soon gets familiar in a cage, where it will 

 readily take to feed on the bruised hempseed 

 and bread, if a few insects are stuck in it at 

 first. It is also very fond of raw, lean meat, 

 cut in small pieces, or the yolk of a hard- 

 boiled egg. It will feed on almost every 

 kind of insect, and is particularly fond of 

 small beetles, earwigs, and butterflies. The 

 bird I at present possess, was caught in July, 

 1821 (Mr. Sweet's book was written in 

 1823). It began singing about the middle 

 of September, and continued all through the 

 winter, singing the greater part of the day. 

 In spring it sang very loud, beginning in the 

 morning before daylight. I find it one of 

 the tenderest species that I have yet kept ; 

 and I have no doubt, that the least frost 

 getting at it would cause its death ; as in cold 

 weather it appears very melancholy, especially 

 of a morning before a fire is made in the 

 room. As soon however as the room be- 

 gins to get warm, it enlivens, particularly if 



