The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-05-05
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No sooner have the nightingales ar
rived at their nesting places in Europe,
about the middle Of April, than their
songs are to be heard almost incessant-
". Some pour forth their thrilling
notes through the long, bright night,
lust as the American hooking birds
whistle during the moonlight nights of
spring time and early summer, but gen.
erally they sing only in the daytime,
except during the breeding season. when
the desire 10 please and attract their
mates renders the male birds excited and
restless. The nest is built of leaves,
dried grass. bits of bark and roots, lined
with finer grass and horsehair loosely
put together. and placed in some hollow
in the ground, in the roots or stump OF
u tree. There are five eggs in nest and
only one nest in season, unless the
eggs or the young get destroyed, in
which case there is a second laying. The
moulting season commences in July.
after which, when the birds are in new,
full plumage, the autumn migrations
begin. These journeyings are accom-
plished in families or small parties, the
birds flying with great rapidity to very
distant countries. In April they resp
pear in Europe, the males about two
weeks in advance of the females, and at
once seek their former haunts and greet
the old homes in Joyous strains.
The nightingale is fond of an abund-
ance of hearty food, and likes variety.
making no objection to four or five
courses. AS he is soft-bill bird, his
regular diet should be the prepared food
using first bottle of the moist food
then a box of the dry. Both of these
should have fresh grated raw carrot
mixed with them, and also one half-tea-
spoonful of ants eggs that have been
soaked. Meal worms, beetles and spid-
ers. three to five of each, may be given
daily, and a little lean raw beef, scrapsd
fine, may be added. Meal worms may
be bred as follows: Into half-galL'n
jar put some wheat, bran, barley, or o..t-
meal, and few strips of thick brown
paper or old shoe leather; throw in half
a pint of meal worms, and allow them
to remain for three months, occasionally
the cloth, which is tied over
the jar, with little beer. The worms
will by this time have become beetles,
laying eggs and producing other worms
with great rapidity. This will be your
out of which you shall feed the
bird. When insects cannot be obtained,
soak half teaspoonful of the best cur
rents and mix with the food. There
should be an abundance of gravel fur
nished the bird. In countries where the
birds care is best understood he is con-
fined in a cage about eighteen inches
long, eight inches deep and thirteen
inches high. The back may be of wood,
and whether the top is of wood or wire,
it should be lined with cloth, SO the bird,
in flying up, should not injure his head.
In the moulting season watch this bird
and give him stronger food, and care
fully exclude all draughts from his cor
ner. A spider or two should be given
daily, and little saffron put in the drink
ing water if the digestive organs are not
in good order.
The prevailing opinion is that the bird
is delicate and seldom lives long in
cage. This opinion is just contrary to
the facts in the case. Not only does the
live in cage for many
years but he grows stronger and sings
better constantly; and there are many
authentic cases of the birds breeding
and rearing its young while so confined.
When properly cared for the bird will
live fifteen years; and one case is stated
where bird lived for twenty-five years.
Within the past three or four years the
sale of these birds has greatly increased,
because lovers of the grandest and
sweetest bird music have learned how to
so care for the performer as to elicit
from him most charming harmonies.
He has a natural song, and like the
American hooking bird, is also a mimic.
His cage may hang by itself in a less
frequented part of the bird room, but the
more singers there are in the same room
for him to contend with and surpass, the
wider will be his range of voice. Each
country has its nightingale. America
has the red bird, called the Cardinal
Grosbeak or Virginia nightingale. The
'.hedge singers" or ''tree nightingales,"
of Africa, and the beautiful and very
lively nightingales of China are all fine
songsters and whistlers; but the bird
known as the English or German night
ingale is the true nightingale. The
prices vary from S15 to 500 and 1926
Bird Magazine.