Ravages committed by Song Birds in Gardens, 

 Sfc. — Dear Mr. Editor, I am now on a visit at a 

 friend's house in the neighborhood of Dorches- 

 ter, who farms a large estate, and who has an 

 excellent kitchen garden near the house, sloping 

 to the south. I am happy to find, that the gen- 

 tleman and his sons are all converts to the utility 

 of the rook ; but I regret that they pursue regularly 

 and remorselessly a war of extermination against 

 all blackbirds, starlings, sparrows, and torn tits, 

 cum multis a Mis, — asserting (and I fear not with- 

 out some reason) the following list of grievances 

 in justification, viz. : — that the blackbirds eat 

 sacks of gooseberries ; the starlings great quan- 

 tities of chciTies (having the audacity to get 

 under the nets put over the trees, and not being 

 very easily frightened away); and the sparrows, 

 all the young pea-plants as soon as they show 

 themselves above ground. In a word, the family 

 is obliged to buy early peas, although possessed 

 of so large an extent of garden ground ! The 

 little tits, I am told, do general mischief; and to 

 wind up all, I find to my horror, that no fewer 

 than two hundred blackbirds, besides large num- 

 bers of all the others, have been slain this year 

 already. Now, although, I have every wish to 

 advocate their cause to the fullest extent, and 

 indeed have done so to the best of my power, 

 yet I fear I cannot, in the face of such evidence, 

 do so any longer with hopes of success ; for per- 

 sons " convinced against their will, are of the 

 same opinion still." Now, my dear sir, I want 

 your kind assistance in the shape of " counsel's 

 opinion" on the subject ; so that we may make 

 converts, if possible, of those who doubt the 

 " utility" of theso poor little pets. Awaiting 

 such kind counsel, I am, yours, &c.— J. G., 

 Dorchester, June 6. 



[You bring a " heavy case " before us, yet 

 would we adjudicate fairly. Whilst we advocate 

 the cause of mercy and kindness to the dumb 

 creation, we must not show any morbid sym- 

 pathy for their too great increase in numbers. 

 What more innocent and harmless than a lamb, 

 or a pigeon ? still, they must be killed both for 

 our use, and for expediency. With respect to 

 the tom-tits, we have recently proved that they 

 are " harmless." Blackbirds do love fruit, no 

 doubt; and if they encroach " without leave," 

 they must, we fear, take the consequences. The 

 same with starlings. These handsome rogues 

 will soon strip a tree of its cherries. They are 

 welcome, and so are the blackbirds, to all ours; 

 they prevent us and our children from having the 

 stomach-ache. So do we reconcile their little 

 peculations. But as all the world do not see 

 through the same glass, we fear Ave must incline 

 towards their being driven away by gunpowder, 

 — frightened however, rather than killed. At 

 this season, when they have so many " young " 

 depending on them for food, we call it cruel to 

 slay them. " If they must be slain," and their 

 numbers reduced, — let it be either very early or 

 very late in the season. As regards sparrows, 

 we have not one word to say in their favor. 

 They possess not one good quality. Their de- 

 predations are alarming, and we are inclined to 

 regard them as "vermin." Still they may be 

 exterminated without cruelty. They increase 

 by arinies.J 



BIRDS OF SONG. 



Give me but 

 Something whereunto I may bind my heart, 

 Something to love, to rest upon, — to' clasp 

 AFFEcxibN's tendrils round. -Mrs. IIemaxs. 



No XVI.— THE NIGHTINGALE. 



Up to this time, the Nightingale 

 lias been keeping us awake the live-long 

 night with the music of his celestial voice, — 

 every grove, every thicket has echoed to 

 his song. What pleasure then can it afford 

 us, to sit down and plan in cool blood how 

 we may hold him a prisoner for life, — how 

 confine him by bars of wire, and walls of 

 wood ! Yet, as duty and pleasure are not 

 inseparable, and we have undertaken the 

 task, — let us to it with all the nerve we can 

 muster. So now to descend at once to plain 

 prose. 



Many persons refuse to keep Nightingales, 

 because of the trouble incurred in procuring 

 them fresh meat, twice daily. It may be 

 some relief to such individuals to point out 

 a " substitute" for raw beef. 



We have been acquainted, in our time, 

 with several first-rate Nightingale fanciers ; 

 and by interchanging " notes " with each 

 other, we have picked up many facts worth 

 recording. Among others, it appears that 

 the Nightingale will live and thrive both 

 upon German paste and bullocks' liver. 



The former, however, will suit " branch - 

 ers " and nestlings only. By " branchers " 

 we mean those young birds which are bred 

 here, and caught soon after they have left 

 their parents. By accustoming them, by 

 degrees, to Clifford's German paste, and 

 stale bun, they will soon get used to it ; and 

 if a meal-worm be given them, every morning, 

 the diet will agree well with their constitution. 

 Nestlings and branchers, however, are alone 

 to be so fed ; and the former must on no 

 account be put on such diet too suddenly. 

 Until a nestling is at least six weeks old, he 

 must have succulent food given him. Then 

 you may mix a small quantity of German 

 paste with the raw meat, until he acquires a 

 taste for it. We will say nothing about a 

 relish for it ; for we are quite sure raw beef 

 is, after all that can be said, their most 

 natural aliment. 



Nestling Nightingales ought to be taken, 

 if taken at all, when about ten days old, and 

 fed with the end of a stick, exactly in ac- 

 cordance with the instructions given under 

 the article—" Canary." Every now and then, 

 when their rapacious mouths are turned up 

 for food, dip your little finger into cold 

 spring water, and let a drop or two dribble 

 into each bird's throat. It assists their 

 digestion wonderfully. 



When it is a sine qua non that a fresh- 

 caught bird, just arrived, should be fed 



