The Natural History of Cage Birds: Their Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, Breeding, and the Methods of Catching Them.Bechstein, Johann Matthäus
Science
The Natural History of Cage Birds: Their Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, Breeding, and the Methods of Catching Them.
Bechstein, Johann Matthäus
Cage birds
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--The song of the titlark, though short, and
composed of only three strains mixed with shakes and trills, is
nevertheless very pleasing. It sings from the end of March to July,
either from the top of a tree, where it is perched, or when rising
perpendicularly in the air, where it remains a few minutes and then
quietly descends, almost always to the same place. As it alights it
repeats several times "_tzia, tzia, tzia_." In the house it begins to
sing a month earlier. It pleases also by its pretty ways; its step is
somewhat grave, and the tail is in perpetual motion: it is always
very clean and trim.
THE FIELD PIPIT.
Anthus campestris, BECHSTEIN; La Spipolette, BUFFON; Die
Brachpieper, BECHSTEIN.
In figure it is more slender than the sky-lark; the plumage resembles
that of the crested lark, and the form that of the titlark. Its length
is six inches and a half. The beak is strong and long, the line above
the eyes distinctly marked, the breast yellowish white, with but few
rays or lines. In summer it frequents marshy woods, in autumn the edges
of the fields, high roads, and meadows, where it may be easily caught
with the night-net. Its only known song is its constant cry "_tsirru_"
and "_datsida_" while revolving in the air. It departs in September and
returns in April. Its food is the same as that of the titlark; it also
requires the same treatment when in confinement if it should be wished
to keep it, but it has no qualities to make this desirable.
THE SHORE LARK.
Alauda alpestris, LINNÆUS; Alouette Haussecol noir, ou
Alouette de Virginie, BUFFON; Die Berglerche, BECHSTEIN.
This species is seven inches long, rather stronger than the field pipit,
and has the same plumage on the upper part of the body; but the throat
is light yellow, as well as the rest of the under part of the neck, over
which and the top of the breast passes a black band, which in the lower
part is shaped like a horse-shoe. The beak, feet, and claws, are black.
[Illustration: SHORE LARK.]
OBSERVATIONS.--This species properly inhabits the north as well of
Europe as of America, as far as Virginia; but in the winter it
appears in Germany, where it may be seen by the road side picking
for its food the undigested grains in horse-dung. It perches like the
wood-lark. It is caught in the southern parts of Thuringia with lime
twigs, or nets, at its return in March, when there has happened a
heavy fall of snow; but at such times it is so thin and so weak for
want of food as scarcely to have strength to eat what is offered to
it. It may, no doubt, be preserved in confinement by treating it like
other larks, but of this I have no experience, never having been able
to procure a single living individual of this species, which also
prevents my speaking of its song.
THE CALANDRA LARK.
Alauda Calandra, LINNÆUS; La Calandre, BUFFON; Die Kalander,
BECHSTEIN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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