Foreign Finclics in Captivity.
of frost and in about tliree days lie was as well as ever. Mr. Abrahams tliought
that tlie pure air restored liiui, but I believe this rash heroic treatment lowered
his temperature first, aud the fresher atmosphere completed the cure. He lived
for two years afterwards.
On another occasion I turned an ludigo Finch out in the Autumn. He lived,
aud sang at intervals, throughout the winter; but, in the midst of his change into
the breeding plumage, died suddenly aud unexpectedly.
My very good friend Dr. W. J. Holland, the Chancellor of the Western
University of Penns3'lvaiiia and a most enthusiastic Naturalist, writes to me
respecting the Indigo Bunting as follows:—
"This spriglith' and brilliant little bird is very common over the Eastern
United States, and retreating before the gales of winter, finds its home during
the cold months in the Gulf States and iilexico."
" I t appears in the latter part of ]\Iay in Pennsylvania, and a few stragglers
are to be fouud lingering with us as late as October. In the Carolinas it is very
abundant, in the middle uplands, and frequents deserted fields upon the plantations,
seeming to have a special fondness for those which are overgrown with thickets of
brambles."
"The nest which is a neat little aifair, is built in low bushes, and is composed
of leaves intenvoven with grasses on the outside and is lined on the inside with
finer stems of grass. There are generally four to five eggs: they are mostly
bluish-white, though sometimes they are sparingly spotted and blotched wdth rusty
brown."
"The female is a very inconspicuous and shy creature, devoting herself with
motherly assiduitj- to the cares of her nest. The male, on the other hand, is a
great dandy and loves to fly out from the covert and perching upon a fence-stake,
or a tall bush, ejaculates his short, but sweet aud rapid notes. He is obedient,
however, to the call of the mate, and generally, after having once or twice uttered
his song from his conspicuous perch, disappears at the call of his more timid
companion."
"This spring, while visiting an educational institution located in the hilly rural
regions west of the Allegheny River, in the northern part of Butler County in
this State, I took a stroll one afternoon into the woodlands, and came at the edge
of a field to a thicket of hazel. One of the Indigo Buntings flew up ahead of
me and perching upon the top of a mullein stalk uttered his song. At the same
moment I saw a female bird slyly flitting away from among the hazels. I investigated
and was presently rewarded by finding a nest, containing three eggs.
Presently another female bird flew up and I discovered another nest. A close
search showed that there were no less than six nests of this bird contained in a
thicket not more than five yards square. It is very unusual to find so many nests
of the same species crowded together in so limited a space."
" I n New England, in the western part of Massachusetts, I have not infrecpiently
found the nests of this bird hidden among the branches of the Spircea tonientosa^
or hardback, which is a very common growth on -waste and neglected lands; while
in the south a favourite nesting place seemed to be in the thick tufted growths of
the Ccanothus Americanus, or New Jersey tea."
As regards mule-breeding -with Canaries, Dr. Russ does not say, as Wiener
practically does, that complete success has been attained; but he says what is jtrst
as much to the point;—"Now and again attempts have been made to breed mules
between it and a Canary-bird hen, but I cannot absolutely be certain of any
issue; nevertheless I know, that in one instance the hen laid fertilized eggs. It
must therefore be quite possible to breed mules from it, and these would be very
beautiful, or at any rate extremely remarkable birds."
Now, it is very certain that, unless Dr. Russ had received unimpeachable
evidence of the fact that an Indigo Finch had been successfully paired with a
Canary with the effect that she laid fertile eggs, he would not have said "I know;''
Dr. Russ may make a mistake in a detail as to change of colour in adult birds;
but in his special department of Bird-breeding and all connected therewith, he is
not at all likely to bkinder.
The illustration of the cock bird is from the skin of a specimen formerly
living in the author's collection and from two living examples.
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