342 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[August 28. 
These facts will, I hope, he useful to many of the nume¬ 
rous readers of this journal, few of whom are so placed as 
to be indifferent to the influence of temperature on the 
plants around them ; and we may be well assured, that we 
shall yet reap larger harvests in this branch of science— 
observations which will at once enrich and elevate the culti¬ 
vator of the soil. 
ENGLISH CAGE BIRDS. 
( Continued from page 280, vol. v.) 
THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 
Insessores Dentirostres. Sylviadje Insectivora. 
Sylvia Regains; Molacilla Regulus; Regains Cristatus; 
Regains Auricapillus; Regains Vulgaris; Sylvia Auricapilla. 
Golden-crested Wren ; Golden-crested Warbler; Golden- 
crowned Wren; Gold crested Kinglet. 
This is the smallest of our warblers, and, in fact, of 
European birds; it is an elegant and lively little bird, ever 
restless, ever active, and is capable of enduring our winters 
better than many of our larger birds. It is generally to be 
found in wooded districts, especially where fir trees abound, 
when it may be seen flitting and poising itself on the wing 
in search of insects beneath the branches. Its nest is one 
of the most beautiful things in nature, generally suspended 
by three or four silken cords from beneath the branch of a 
fir-tree, most ingeniously contrived to elude the search of 
the most vigilant naturalist; moreover, the female is not 
very easily disturbed; so confident and secure she feels, as 
to allow a pretty close inspection ; and the nest being 
usually placed at the extremity of a branch, the opportunity 
of watching (when the nest is discovered) is more easily 
attained. She lays from eight to ten eggs, and has been 
known to give her attention to her nest of eight young ones 
thirty-six timers in an hour, and this continued for sixteen 
hours in the day. It is related by the Hon. and Rev. W. H. 
Herbert, in the work of Neville Wood, Esq., on “British 
Song-Birds,” “that he once caught half a dozen of these 
birds at the beginning of winter, and they lived extremely 
well upon egg and meat, being extremely tame; at roosting 
time there was always a whimsical conflict amongst them 
for the inside places, as being the warmest, which ended, of 
course, by the weakest going to the wall. The scene began 
with a low whistling call amongst them to roost, and the 
two birds on the extreme right and left flew on the backs of 
those in the centre, and squeezed themselves into the 
middle. A fresh couple from the flanks immediately 
renewed the attack upon the centre, and the conflict con¬ 
tinued until the light began to fail them. A severe frost in 
February killed all but one of them in one night, though in 
a furnished drawing-room. The survivor was preserved 
in a little cage by burying it every night under the sofa 
cushions ; but having been one sharp morning taken from 
under them before the room was sufficiently warmed by the 
fire, though perfectly well when removed, it was dead in ten 
minutes.” Its song is very soft and sweet, but in rather a 
low tone; so that one must be very near to hear it. Its 
food consists of small winged insects and their larva, and 
occasionally, it is said, a few seeds or berries. I once ob¬ 
tained a nest of young birds, pretty well feathered, which I 
placed under a hen canary which was sitting on her nest of 
eggs, these being distributed to other nests; the canary 
took readily to the young gold-crests, and fed them and 
brought them up until they could provide for themselves, 
which they did in a short time, subsisting on the egg and 
bread as made for young canaries, bread and milk, and 
hempseed, eggs and meat, and raw meat chopped small. 
They are very difficult to keep in health; but it is a very 
pretty object to See these little creatures seeking then’ food 
on a little fir-tree, planted in a pot, and placed in the aviary, 
which is the mode I have usually adopted for them. 
THE FIRE-CRESTED KINGLET. 
Insessores Dentirostres. Insectivora Svlviadas. 
Regains Ignicapillus; Sylvia Ignicapilla. Fire-crested Wren; 
Fire- crested Kinglet. 
This species is by no means numerous; it is of recent 
discovery, not being known to the older ornithologists. 
Yarrell speaks of its being first made known in the year' 
1832. It has been considered by some to be only a variety 
of the common Gold-crest, but ornithologists of the present 
day allot to it a separate title. In “ Wood’s British Song- 
Birds” Mr. Edward Blyth says, “ I am very much mistaken, 
indeed, if I did not discover the Fire-crested Kinglet in the 
neighbourhood of Worcester, among the aboriginal yews, 
which twisted their antique boughs in sombre grandeur upon 
a sandstone precipice overhanging the Severn. Unfortu¬ 
nately I had no gun with me, so failed in the endeavour to 
procure a specimen; but the locality is noted for the future.” 
If this bird is procured, I have no doubt it could be kept as 
readily as the former. 
THE REDSTART. 
Insessores Dentirostres. Insectivora Sylyiadce. 
Sylvia Phcenicurus; Molacilla Phcenicurus; Phcenicura ruti- 
cilla; Curruce Phcenicurus; Phcenicura Albifrons. The 
Redstart; The Red Warbler; The Redtail; Tree Red¬ 
start. 
This is one of our summer visitors, arriving from the 
south about the second week in April. It is remarkably 
handsome when in full plumage, the colours being very 
striking; it is often conspicuous on the topmost branch of 
low trees, and sometimes even the lofty elm, singing its 
soft and melodious notes, and occasionally singing while on 
the wing, as it flits from tree to tree. It has been observed, 
like other birds gifted with the power of song, to be an able 
imitator of the notes of other birds, and when brought up 
from the nest may be taught, like the bullfinch, to whistle 
tunes. “ Mr. Sweet observes, when speaking of this bird, 
that he had one in his possession which learned to sing the 
Copenhagen Waltz, that it had frequently heard sung, only 
it would sometimes stop in the middle of it and say chipput, 
a name by which it was generally called, and which it would 
always repeat every time he entered the room where it was, 
either by night or day. In winter it would generally begin 
singing in the evening as soon as the candle was lighted, 
and would often sing as late as eleven o’clock at night." 
Some few years ago, I remember having a male-bird just 
caught brought to me, which I put into a cage in which I 
was rearing some young whinchats and stonechats, when to 
my astonishment, in the course of a few hours, I found this 
fresh-caught bird most diligently and constantly feeding 
both the whinchats and stonechats, so that all trouble 
ceased with me and devolved upon him, and he continued 
to feed them until they could provide for themselves, and 
thus saved me a double difficulty, by attending to himself as 
well as the young birds. They may be kept readily in 
confinement, being fed upon the same description of food as 
the nightingale, which has been already described. In the 
autumn, which is their moulting time, they frequently die ; 
probably from the food supplied them not having sufficient 
material to supply the demand for forming new feathers. 
If you succeed over the moulting time there is no difficulty 
afterwards. I have usually brought up the young birds 
from the nest on the food already mentioned for nestlings 
of former birds, but birds caught are preferable as being 
stronger, and you have your song as soon as they become 
reconciled to their new food. The natural food of this bird 
consists of different kinds of insects and their larva, cater¬ 
pillars, currants (of which they are very fond), raspberries, 
elderberries, Ac. Any of these procured and put into its 
cage, is sure to be seized upon very readily, and, therefore, 
it is desirable to do so as often as may be. W. Rayner. 
[Want of space has alone been the cause of interrupting 
the publication of these trustworthy papers. We hope now 
to insert them regularly.] 
BREWING. 
As a practical brewer of some years’ experience, I cannot 
say that I quite like the receipts you gave in your very 
valuable periodical some time since. The following is my 
plan, and better ale than some which is now in the cellar, 
and lias already been twelve months in the cask, no one 
need wish to drink. I brew two days at a time. I begin, 
then, a la Mrs. Glass’s plan, of “first catch your hare, then 
kill it,” &c. I order in all the material for the brewing at !■ 
once, viz., one quarter of the best pale malt, one hundred- 1 
weight and a quarter coarse moist sugar, and fourteen 
pounds best hops. As to water, I have 320 gallons of pure 
