A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON BRITISH SONG BIRDS, Nash 1824

; PRACTICAL TREATISE ON BRITISH SONG BIRDS; IN WHICH IS GIVEN EVERY INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THEIR Natural Jgi^torp, Sntufjatiott, $!^t TOGETHER WITH THE METHOD OF REARING AND MANAGING BOTH OLD AND YOUNG BIRDS BY JOSEPH NASH JfUustratelY h>ttt iEngtabinge LONDON PRINTED FOR SHERWOOD, JONES, AND PATERNOSTER-R O W Sold by Joseph Nash, 39, Great Windmiil-Streef, HAYMARKET 1824 CO MEAJLX CO(CK JOITQUK MErr I'td!iskedJlp7TZIJS.^'f^.hS/ia-u'^ei,JcnA'i:C- ADDRESS In compiling I now offer, the following for the first time, to the pub- have been principally induced by lic, I the want which who pages, which delight in bird-fanciers, singing birds, and have long felt, of a cheap, yet comprehensive tise on British the rearing Song As few this kind trea- and management of Birds bird-fanciers require a for those the work of purpose of gaining a knowledge of the mere natural history of ADDRESS IV singing- birds, I have touciied but lightly on a subject which would be of no fur- ther use than to swell out the work, and cause a consequent augmentation of price, the diminution of which has been my most earnest endeavour throughout the whole of this treatise Neither have I made any attempt at a scientific arrangement, but have given the description, together with the directions for the rearing and management of each just as I wrote them, beginning with bird, the canary, on which I have been as explicit as possible, concealing nothing that could the smallest degree serviceable to those be in who keep and breed these birds, either for profit or amusement I have also had drawings made and engraved from four of the most perfect birds I could possibly procure, in or- der to show the manner of matching them ; ADDRESS V SO that the beginner will not be at a loss in that part of the business, which is one of the most difficult things in breeding canaries for show birds Nothing, indeed, that sidered necessary have I I con- unsaid, but left have given every information which I either myself, or possessed others ladies I could procure from beg to inform likewise and gentlemen, who are those in the habit of breeding canaries, that I have always a selection of cipal Fancy Birds, bred by the prin- bird-fanciers In treating on the other song birds, I have given short descriptions of a great number that are but which having been writers, I thought it pass over unnoticed little known mentioned ; by other would be wrong On and celebrated warblers, the but to more known I have, however, been more diffuse, treating on the nightin- ADDRESS VI gale, robin, sky lark, &c at considerable length I beg leave to conclude, in the the public will kindly excuse any inaccuI not them the following treatise, racies of style that profess to offer may hope that occur as showing either elegance of thought, or purity of diction, but merely as the result of many years' experience, which, from to time, I have put together at my leisure moments JOSEPH NASH 39, Great Windmill Street, Haymarket 3Iayl, 1824 time TABLE OF CONTENTS The Canary The Goldfinch The Bullfinch The Linnet The Aberdevine The Redpole The Blackbird The Thrush The Mistle Thrush The Brown Starling, or Solitary Thrush The Starling The Sky Lark The Wood Lark The Tit Lark The Nightingale The Redbreast The Redstart The Black Cap The Wren The Golden-crested Wren The Willow Wren The Eggs page 30 34 38 43 45 47 52 55 57 59 62 71 76 77 88 91 94 96 98 100 102 LIST OF PLATES Mealy Cock and Jonque Hen to Jonque Cock and Mealy Hen Bullfinch and Goldfinch Aberdevine and Linnet Blackbird and Starling Thrush and Sky Lark Nightingale and Redbreast Eggs face — — — — — page Title 30 38 47 52 — 77 - 102 Jo:^QIlTK € O CK, Mealx Me it J'f^r/u-A^^^^'reZUd^^/.i/S/^^/u.r.^^ ^/f,^^ /V'^ THE REDBREAST the former, and by 89 not extending so far its into the head During Winter season, the this bird is a constant visitor at our residences, into which it will frequently enter in search of food ; no sooner, however, does the Spring commence, than it retires to the woods, where it chooses the most lonely places, into the precincts of which breast, except its admits no other red- it mate of nature, consists of ; their food, in a state worms, insects^ ants, ants' eggs, &c The female generally builds in hedges, or banks under the roots of trees, forming her nest of coarse materials; the outside being composed of dry moss, grass, twigs, &c and the inside or lining, of a few horse she lays from four to six eggs, of a cream colour, sprinkled all over with reddish hairs ; yellow spots In the beginning of May, the robin has young ones fit twelve days to take, after older, as they are let which they are is in ten or hatched, not apt to be sullen if you them remain in the nest longer than that Keep them in a little basket, with some time THE REDBREAST 90 soft hay at the bottom, and feed them either with the wood lark's or nightingale's giving them but little are full grown, cage at a time them in : meat, when they a cage like the nightingale's or wood lark's, though it should be somewhat closer wired, and let them have some moss at the bottom, managing them every way like the nightingale A young bird brought up from the nest, may easily be taught to pipe and whistle, though I prefer bis own beautiful notes far before any thing which can be taught him The disorders to which this bird is sub- ject are the same as those which affect the other soft-billed songsters, and are treated in the same way ; indeed, the ma- nagement of the nightingale and redbreast are so exactly similar, that I must refer the reader to my account of the former bird for any thing that I unsaid in my account of the Robins are taken may have left latter either with lime twigs, clap nets, brick traps, or trap cages 91 THE REDSTART Like the nightingale, the redstart is a England about and departing the end of September or beginning of bird of passage, arriving in the middle latter October of April, In disposition its it is remark- ably shy and solitary, seeking the deepest recesses of the forest, where, in wall, or ruined edifice, moss, dry grass, and feathers : Sec in builds its nest of lines it with hair this nest it usually de- posits four or five eggs of a pale bluish May, and young ones may be taken when ten which are hatched green, the it and some old in days old The redstart has build in the ever, it also midst of been known cities, to where, how- generally chooses the most inac- cessible places for its residence frequents lofty precipices, and, that if observed whilst ; it it likewise is said, building her nest, THE REDSTART 9^2 she will immediately forsake what she has already done : her eggs be touched she if also forsake them, will and the if young ones be meddled with, she will either leave them throw them out of the to starve, cr nest In plumage the cock bird its beautiful, the breast, being of a sides, is tail, extremely and rump fine scarlet, inclining to orange, except the two middle feathers of the which are brown ; the back tail, of the head, neck, and back, are of a deep lead colour, the belly and forehead are white, and the throat, cheeks, the may bill, and round the insertion of The female are of a jet black by easily be distinguished liant colours, and by the black of the throat Though much its its less bril- entirely wanting and cheeks inferior to either the night- ingale or robin in its song, it nevertheless possesses a great deal of sweetness, and like the former bird will frequently sing in the night birds, : it and will also learn the for that reason song of other ought always to be placed within hearing of good songsters^ such as the robin, nightingale, &c &c THE REDSTART When taken old, this bird a disposition that and it if will it is 93 of so sullen can seldom be reared, ever you should succeed in that point be long before he begins to sing young' bird, as I have before observed, The may be taken when ten days old, and must be managed with exactly the same food, and in the same manner as the nightingale and robin reared and In its worms, wild state the redstart feeds on insects, the eggs sects, wild berries, its it and &c and larvae of in- it is said takes name from the peculiar manner shakes alights its tail from side in to side which when it 94 THE BLACK CAP Takes its of the crown of which is name from its its having the whole head entirely black, not, however, the case with the female, the crown of her head being of a dull rust colour, so that a decided mark distinguishes one sex from the other; rest of the ing, plumage is the extremely unassum- the neck being of an ash colour, the back and wings of an olive- grey, the throat and breast of a silvery grey, and the belly and vent white, the legs and bill are of a bluish colour Like the gratory, nightingale, this coming to is mi- about the bird England middle of April, and retiring again about the middle of September: ever, occasionally ter Bewick a few, howWin- remain through the " it frequents gardens, says, and builds its nest near the ground, commonly among the branches of the wood* THE BLACK bine it ; is 95 CAl» very slightly made, and com- posed of the dried straw and curled roots of small grass, thinly interwoven with a very few hairs, and bound to the tv/igs with the cotton nest is monly of plants : the deep and round : inside the of the eggs com- number, are of a reddish five in brown, sprinkled or marbled with spots of a much During the time of incubation, the male attends the female, and sits food, The darker colour by turns; such as he likewise procures her flies, worms, and insects black cap sings sweetly, and so like the nightingale, that in Norfolk it is called mock nightingale/' The young ones, which are hatched in June, and may be taken when ten days old, the must be managed in the same way, and fed with the same food as the nightingale and redbreast as must also the old birds, both ; in regard to diseases food, and the treatment of ; 96 THE WREN This bird, with the exception of the crested wren, is golden- the smallest of the feathered race that inhabits Great Britain, and when seen creeping about old walls and hedges, bears a greater resemblance to than a bird, in its a mouse The wren actions is about three inches and a half in length the bill and legs are of brownish horn breast is of a dingy white, colour; the and the back, wings, belly, and tail are of a brown, marked with double narrow clear wavy lines, alternately of a paler and darker colour During the Winter season, the wren is frequently seen in the neighbourhood of farm-yards and out-houses, where it sings its song during a till fall late in the evening, of snow *' and often In the Spring betakes itself to the woods, where its nest on the ground, or in it it builds a low bush, : THE WREN and sometimes on trunk of a its nest of an ture turf constructed with is shape, the composed beneath the or in a hole in a wail tree, oval at the 97 side chiefly for much art, being one small aper- with an entrance is it ; of moss, or other sur- rounding materials, so as not to be easily distinguished from them, and lined within with feathers: to sixteen, the female lays from ten and sometimes eighteen eggs : they are white, thinly sprinkled with small reddish spots, mostly at the thicker end." The young birds are hatched in but must not be taken feathered ; in the till May, they are and the treatment of their diseases, ex- same course must be pursued recommended for the nightingale actly the that well management of them, It cock is rather difficult to dibtinguish of this bird from the hen be known, however, by its : and more distinct the may having a larger and by the waving lines of mage, which is altogether more eye, it as its plu- brilliant 9S GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN Tni^i and the following bird, like many others which I have described, are so very rarely kept in cages, that I should have passed them unnoticed, had I not observed that they have works of this been written upon in other kind The among I shall therefore give golden-crested wren all being not quite three of tlie are brown is supposed lo European birds, inches and a half in is of on the back and are of a dusky they the plumage its olive green as a the British song birds be the smallest of length; them, of short description ranked : ; a tail ; yellowish the wings and the under parts body are of a pale reddish white, but the mark which dis- tinged with green tinguishes it from : all other birds, and from it takes its name, is the crown of its the feathers are longer than on where head, the other parts, so as to form a crest of a bright golden yello\/j bordered on each side which THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN 99 with black, which forms an arch above The crest of the female is eyes its and of less, a paler yellow Montague says, '' that the nest made with an opening on one by described some, but side, as form and in is not is elegance like that of the chaffinch, composed of green moss, woven with wool, and mvaria^/j/ lined so bedded as well This with feathers, with which account is to conceal the eggs." corroborated in a on Singing Birds, Treatise above passage is also different female lays from seven dull reddish in quoted however, gives a of a it is white, ; Bewick, account to late which the twelve : the eggs, sprinkled with brown The golden-crested wren delights prin- cipally in the largest trees, where it feeds on the small insects which harbour in the bark, and in search of which it runs about the branches very of the til; mouse much after the manner 100 THE WILLOW WREN I IV the plumage bears a strong resemblance hen blackcap, and like that bird to is very frequently seen in hedges, orchards^ shrubberies, &c where and where it it feeds on insects^ may be observed continually down the branches in running up and search of be *' its prey somewhat but not so : its notes are said to like those of the redbreast^ loud or so mellow, though wildly sweet, and very plaintive." The female builds on the ground, in se- questered situations ; and the nest, which is composed of dried grass and moss, lined with hair and feathers, is generally so artfully concealed, that find ; it is very difficult to the eggs (usually six in number) are white, spotted with red The willow wren is a bird of passage, ap- pearing in this country in April, and departing from hence in August: mediately on its arrival it sings im- THE WILLOW WREN 101 " If reared for the cage, and this species really is worthy the attention of amateurs, they are fed and managed as the redbreast and other soft-billed birds." wren must manner also The golden-crested be reared in the same 102 THE EGGS In order to afford assistance in distinguish- ing the eggs of birds, to those fanciers who, residing in the country may have an op- portunity of rearing birds from the nest, I have given correct representations of thir- teen different species, vi^hich were engraved, after drawings made expressly from the eggs themselves, of Mr Yarrel; artist to make who for this work, in the possession kindly permitted the sketches of them FINIS, HowleU ini BrimmeT, Printers, lo, Frith Street, Soho Itcddreast JTi^ktirujale^ Wb