Natural History in Anecdote Part 23

The Bunting.

There are several kinds of Bunting; the English Bunting common to wayside hedges, and familiar from its habit of flitting in front of the traveller, and the Snow Bunting of the northern regions, which turns white on the approach of snow.

The Starlings.

We come now to the third division of the _Pa.s.seres_ or perching birds, to which Mr. Wallace attaches the name of the starlings. "The starlings or _Sturnidae_," says Dr. Percival Wright, "are a well marked old-world group. No species of the family are found in Australia."

The Common Starling.

The Common Starling is a bird of pa.s.sage, arriving in England about the beginning of March and leaving some time in October. Knapp says:--"There is something singularly curious and mysterious in the conduct of these birds previously to their nightly retirement, by the variety and intricacy of the evolutions they execute at that time. They will form themselves, perhaps, into a triangle, then shoot into a long, pear-shaped figure, expand like a sheet, wheel into a ball, as Pliny observes, each individual striving to get into the centre, etc., with a prompt.i.tude more like parade movements than the actions of birds. As the breeding season advances, these prodigious flights divide, and finally separate into pairs, and form their summer settlements." The Starling is a handsome bird and usually nests in old buildings, though it has a preference for a dove-cote if it can gain admission. It is a peaceable bird and for all its military evolutions does not seem to war with other species. Its domestic character is also good.

The Weaver Bird.

The Weaver birds which are included in this division, are a very interesting species. They belong to Africa, where they hang their nests upon trees, those of the sociable weaver birds giving the trees the appearance of partially thatched wall-less structures. Le Vaillant thus describes his experience of the sociable weaver bird: he says:--"I observed, on the way, a tree with an enormous nest of these birds, to which I have given the appellation of republicans; and as soon as I arrived at my camp, I dispatched a few men with a wagon to bring it to me, that I might open the hive and examine its structure in its minutest parts. When it arrived, I cut it to pieces with a hatchet and saw that the chief portion of the structure consisted of a ma.s.s of Buckmans gra.s.s, without any mixture, but so compactly and firmly basketed together, as to be impenetrable to the rain. This is the commencement of the structure; and each bird builds its particular nest under this canopy, the upper surface remaining void without, however, being useless; for, as it has a projecting rim and is a little inclined, it serves to let the rain water run off and preserve each little dwelling from the rain. Figure to yourself a huge, irregular, sloping roof, all the eaves of which are completely covered with nests crowded one against another, and you will have a tolerably accurate idea of these singular edifices. Each individual nest is three or four inches in diameter, which is sufficient for the bird. But as they are all in contact with one another around the eaves, they appear to the eye to form one building and are distinguishable from each other only by a little external aperture which serves as an entrance to the nest; and even this is sometimes common to three different nests, one of which is situated at the bottom and the other two at the sides." One of these structures examined by Patterson contained three hundred and twenty inhabited cells.

The Lark.

The skylark is common all over Europe and is an especial favourite in the British Isles, It builds its nest on the ground among growing corn or high gra.s.s, and shows especial care for its young. Its song is perhaps the most joyous and inspiriting of those of English birds.

Captain Brown quotes the following interesting particulars of its song from a communication made by Mr. J. Main to the "Magazine of Natural History:" "His joyous matins and heavenward flight have been aptly compared to hymns and acts of adoration and praise. No bird sings with more method: there is an overture performed _vivace crescendo_, while the singer ascends; when at the full height, the song becomes _moderato_, and distinctly divided into short pa.s.sages, each repeated three or four times over, like a _fantasia_, in the same key and time.

If there be any wind, he rises perpendicularly by bounds, and afterwards poises himself with breast opposed to it. If calm, he ascends in spiral circles; in horizontal circles during the princ.i.p.al part of his song, and zigzagly downwards during the performance of the _finale_.

Sometimes, after descending about half way, he ceases to sing, and drops with the velocity of an arrow to the ground. Those acquainted with the song of the skylark can tell without looking at them whether the birds be ascending or stationary in the air, or on their descent; so different is the style of the song in each case. In the first, there is an expression of ardent impatience; in the second, an _andante_ composure, in which rests of a bar at a time frequently occur; and in the last, a graduated sinking of the strains."

The Maternal Instinct of the Lark.

Mrs. Bowdich quoting from "The Naturalist" gives the following pretty story of the maternal instinct of the Lark:--"The other day, some mowers shaved off the upper part of the nest of a skylark, without injuring the female, who was sitting on her young: still she did not fly away; and the mowers levelled the gra.s.s all round her, without her taking any notice of their proceedings. The son of the owner of the crop witnessed this, and, about an hour afterwards, went to see if she were safe; when, to his great surprise, he found that she had actually constructed a dome of dry gra.s.s over the nest during the interval, leaving an aperture on one side for ingress and egress; thus endeavouring to secure a continuance of the shelter previously supplied by the long gra.s.s."

Buffon tells a remarkable story of the self-sacrifice of a young lark who took upon itself the duties of a foster mother. He says:--"A young hen bird was brought to me in the month of May, which was not able to feed without a.s.sistance. I caused her to be educated, and she was hardly fledged when I received from another place a nest of three or four unfledged skylarks. She took a strong liking to these new-comers, which were scarcely younger than herself; she tended them night and day, cherished them beneath her wings, and fed them with her bill. Nothing could interrupt her tender offices. If the young ones were torn from her, she flew to them as soon as she was liberated, and would not think of effecting her own escape, which she might have done a hundred times.

Her affection grew upon her; she neglected food and drink; she now required the same support as her adopted offspring, and expired at last consumed with maternal anxiety. None of the young ones survived her.

They died one after another; so essential were her cares, which were equally tender and judicious."

The Lark and the Hawk.

The Lark when pursued by the Hawk has been known to seek refuge under the protection of man, as the following quoted by Captain Brown from Bell's "Weekly Messenger" will show. "On Wednesday, the 6th of October, 1805, as a gentleman was sitting on the rocks at the end of Collercot's sands, near Tynemouth, Northumberland, dressing himself after bathing, he perceived a hawk in the air, in close pursuit of, and nearly within reach of a lark. To save the little fugitive, he shouted and clapped his hands, when immediately the lark descended, and alighted on his knee, nor did it offer to leave him, when taken into the hand, but seemed confident of that protection, which it found. The hawk sailed about for some time. The gentleman, after taking the lark nearly to Tynemouth, restored it to its former liberty."

The Wagtails and Pipits.

The Wagtails, of which family the Pied Wagtail is the most familiar, derives its name from its habit of wagging its tail. As Mr. Wood says, "it settles on the ground and wags its tail; it runs a few paces and wags its tail again; pecks an insect, and again its tail vibrates." It frequents sandbanks and the margins of rivers where it finds its food.

It is found in England throughout the year, migrating to the southern counties in the early winter. The Pipits, of which "The Meadow Pipit"

and the Tree Pipit are the best known varieties, are found all over the British Isles as well as in many parts of Europe.

The Ant-Eaters.

The fourth division of the perching birds designated by Mr. Wallace, the Ant-Eaters, includes a large number of American varieties, which s.p.a.ce forbids us even to enumerate. One or two must suffice.

The King Bird.

The King Bird or Tyrant Fly-catcher of North America is small, but of a fearless disposition, attacking hawks, crows, and other larger birds, and generally having the best of the battle. The upper part of its body is black and the lower of a delicate white. Its song is a shrill twittering "resembling the jingling of a bunch of keys." It belongs to the family of the Tyrant Shrikes or _Tyrannidae_. It is during the time of incubation that it shows so much ferocity. Wilson says, "I have seen the red-headed woodp.e.c.k.e.r while clinging on a rail of the fence, amuse himself with the violence of the king bird, and play 'bo-peep' with him round the rail, while the latter, highly irritated, made every attempt, as he swept from side to side, to strike him, but in vain. All his turbulence subsides as soon as his young are able to s.h.i.+ft for themselves, and he is then as mild and peaceable as any other bird."

The Chatterers.

The Chatterers, or _Cotingidae_ include among them, the c.o.c.k of the Rock, one of the most beautiful of South-American birds. Resembling a pigeon in size, its head is sufficiently like that of the farm-yard c.o.c.k to account for its name, which is also made to indicate the nature of its haunts. Its coat is a warm saffron yellow and its crest resembles a fan.

Sir Robert Schomburgh says: "While traversing the Kikiritze mountains in Guiana, we saw a number of that most beautiful bird, the c.o.c.k-of-the-rock, or Rock Manakin (_rupicola elegans_), and I had an opportunity of witnessing an exhibition of some of its very singular antics, of which I had heard stories from the Indians, but had hitherto disbelieved them. Hearing the twittering noise so peculiar to the _Rupicola_, I cautiously stole near, with two of my guides, towards a spot secluded from the path from four to five feet in diameter, and which appeared to have been cleared of every blade of gra.s.s, and smoothed as by human hands. There we saw a c.o.c.k-of-the-rock, capering to the apparent delight of several others, now spreading its wings, throwing up its head, or opening its tail like a fan; now strutting about, and scratching the ground, all accompanied by a hopping gait, until tired, when it gabbled some kind of note, and another relieved it.

Thus three of them successively took the field, and then with self-approbation withdrew to rest on one of the low branches near the scene of action. We had counted ten c.o.c.ks and two hens of the party, when the crackling of some wood, on which I had unfortunately placed my foot, alarmed and dispersed this dancing party." The Bell Bird of Brazil; the Umbrella Bird of the Amazons, the Broadbills, the Plant cutters, the Oven bird, and the Ant-Thrushes are all included in this group.

The Lyre Bird.

The Lyre Bird, which according to the cla.s.sification we are following, with the scrub bird, forms the fifth group of the perching birds, belongs to Australia. The Lyre Bird has been so often depicted in ill.u.s.trations that its form is familiar to most people. The tail of the male bird which is composed of three different kinds of feathers so beautifully resembles the Lyre that there could be no hesitation in giving the bird its name. Since its discovery this bird has been so hunted as to considerably reduce its numbers, and the tail feathers which at one time could be purchased at a low price, have become rare and costly.

ORDER II.

Climbers and Gapers.

This order includes some widely different species and is made up of _Scansores_, Climbers and _Fissirostres_, Gapers. A few of the better known species are all that we can mention.

The Woodp.e.c.k.e.r.

The green Woodp.e.c.k.e.r is the variety best known in England, where it inhabits the woods and feeds upon the insects it finds in the bark of trees. Audubon writing of the "Ivory-billed" variety says:--"The birds pay great regard to the particular situation of the tree, and the inclination of its trunk; first, because they prefer retirement, and again, because they are anxious to secure the aperture against the access of water during beating rains. To prevent such a calamity the hole is generally dug immediately under the junction of a large branch with the trunk. It is first bored horizontally for a few inches, then directly downwards, and not in a spiral manner as some people have imagined. According to circ.u.mstances, this cavity is more or less deep, being sometimes more than ten inches, whilst at other times it reaches three feet downwards into the core of the tree. The average diameter of the different nests which I have examined was about seven inches within, although the entrance, which is perfectly round, is only just large enough to admit the bird." Wilson declares that during the excavation of its nest, which occupies several days, the woodp.e.c.k.e.r will often carry the chips and strew them at a distance to divert suspicion. Audubon describing the Red-headed Woodp.e.c.k.e.r says:--"With the exception of the mocking bird, I know no species so gay and frolicsome. Their whole life is one of pleasure."

The Wryneck.

This bird which was known to the Greeks, and described by Aristotle, forms with its allied species a connecting link between the Woodp.e.c.k.e.r and the Cuckoo. It feeds on caterpillars and insects which it catches with its long sticky tongue, with such rapidity of movement that the eye cannot follow it.

The Cuckoo.

The Cuckoo is always welcomed in England as the harbinger of Spring. Its cry is one of the most easily distinguished of bird songs, and is the nearest approach to a definite musical interval produced by any bird.

The habit of the cuckoo of laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, has given rise to much speculation, ancient and modern, and now, though the fact remains, a sufficiently satisfactory reason seems as remote as ever. The nest of the Hedge-sparrow seems to be the one most often selected, though that of the wagtail is sometimes chosen. The consequences to the young of the native bird, are somewhat serious as the following will show.

The Cuckoo and the Hedge-Sparrow.

Dr. Jenner, the discoverer of vaccination says:--"On the 18th of June, 1787, I examined the nest of a hedge-sparrow (_Accentor modularis_), which then contained a cuckoo and three hedge-sparrows' eggs. On inspecting it the day following, the bird had hatched; but the nest then contained only a young cuckoo and one hedge-sparrow. The nest was placed so near the extremity of a hedge, that I could distinctly see what was going forward in it; and, to my great astonishment, I saw the young cuckoo, though so lately hatched, in the act of turning out the young hedge-sparrow. The mode of accomplis.h.i.+ng this was very curious; the little animal, with the a.s.sistance of its rump and wings, contrived to get the bird upon its back, and making a lodgment for its burthen by elevating its elbows, clambered backwards with it up the side of the nest till it reached the top, where, resting for a moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and quite disengaged it from the nest. It remained in this situation for a short time, feeling about with the extremities of its wings, as if to be convinced whether the business was properly executed, and then dropped into the nest again. I afterwards put in an egg, and this, by a similar process, was conveyed to the edge of the nest and thrown out. These experiments I have since repeated several times, in different nests, and have always found the young cuckoo disposed to act in the same manner. "It sometimes happens that two cuckoos' eggs are deposited in the same nest, and then the young produced from one of them must inevitably perish. Two cuckoos and one hedge-sparrow were hatched in the same nest, and one hedge-sparrow's egg remained unhatched. In a few hours afterwards a contest began between the cuckoos for the possession of the nest, which continued undetermined till the next afternoon, when one of them, which was somewhat superior in size, turned out the other, together with the young hedge-sparrow and the unhatched egg. The combatants alternately appeared to have the advantage, as each carried the other several times to the top of the nest, and then sunk down again, oppressed by the weight of the burthen; till at length, after various efforts, the strongest prevailed, and was afterwards brought up by the hedge-sparrow." Jenner's experiences have been corroborated by repeated experiments since. Colonel Montague carried a hedge-sparrow's nest, so inhabited, into his house where he could watch it at leisure and where he saw the young cuckoo frequently oust the baby hedge-sparrow in the manner described. The cuckoo feeds on caterpillars, and insects. It may be tamed, but as a rule does not live long in confinement. Its note is heard from April to June.

The Cuckoo and the Thrush.