Part 39

The PINC-PINC (_Cisticola schœnicla_) is very recognisable by its short, delicate, and slightly curved beak, long tarsi, large toes, short tail, and rounded wing, in which the fourth quill exceeds the rest in length. The plumage of the adult is yellowish brown, the head being spotted with three blackish and two light yellow streaks. The nape and rump are brownish and unspotted; the throat and belly are pure white; the breast, side, and lower tail-covers reddish yellow; the quills are greyish black, edged on the outer web with reddish yellow. The centre tail-feathers are reddish brown, the rest greyish brown, bordered with white at the end, and decorated with a heart-shaped black spot. The eye is brownish grey, the beak horn colour, and the foot reddish. The young are only distinguishable from the adults by the lighter colour of the under side. This species is four inches and a quarter long, and two and a quarter broad; the wing measures one inch and three-quarters, and the tail an inch and a half. The female is a quarter of an inch shorter and half an inch narrower than her mate. The Pinc-Pinc, as it is called by the Algerines, from a supposed resemblance of those syllables to its note, is numerously met with in Central and Southern Spain, Southern Italy, Greece, Sardinia, Algiers, and India.

"This bird," says Jerdon, "is now considered identical with the European one, and is also spread over the greater part of Africa. It is found in every part of India, frequenting long grass, corn and rice fields. It makes its way adroitly through the grass or corn, and often descends to the ground to pick up insects; but I do not think that it habitually runs along, as the name given by Franklin would imply, but it rather makes its way through the grass or reeds, partly hopping and partly flying. When put up it takes a short jerking flight for a few yards, and then drops down into the grass again. It feeds on ants, larvæ of grasshoppers, and various other small insects. As Blyth remarks, 'It may commonly be observed to rise a little way into the air, as is the habit of so many birds that inhabit similar situations, repeating at intervals a single note, "Jik! jik!"' During the breeding season the male bird may be seen seated on a tall blade of grass, pouring forth a feeble little song. The nest is made of delicate vegetable down, woven into the stems of a thick clump of grass, and forming a compact and very beautiful fabric, with a small entrance near the top, and the eggs are four or five in number, translucent white, with reddish spots. It has been noticed that whilst the hen is laying the male bird builds the nest higher."

According to Hausmann it is quite stationary in its habits, and our own observations corroborate this statement. In Spain it occupies low-lying places, and in Sardinia, we learn from the above-mentioned authority that it frequents such flat parts of the sea-coast as are marshy and overgrown with grass, but also frequently breeds and lives in fields of corn. In North-western Africa it seeks meadows and pasture-land, and in India dwells on any spot covered with either long grass, corn, or rice. During the breeding season the male is extremely active, and may be constantly seen flying restlessly about, uttering its loud note, and fluttering boldly round and about any intruder on its privacy; at other times it is somewhat timid. All kinds of caterpillars, dipterous insects, and small snails constitute the principal food of the Pinc-Pinc; these it gathers from the leaves or seeks upon the ground, casting forth the harder portions after the softer parts are digested. The nest, which we have repeatedly found among long grass, reeds, and rushes, about half a foot from the ground, is thus described by Le Vaillant:--"It is," he says, "usually placed among prickly bushes, but sometimes on the extreme branches of trees. It is commonly very large, some apparently larger than others, but this difference of size is only external; in the interior they are all of nearly the same dimensions, namely, between three and four inches in diameter, while the circumference is often more than a foot. As the nest is composed of the down of plants, it is of snowy whiteness or of a brownish hue, according to the quality of the down produced by the surrounding shrubs. On the outside it appears to be constructed in an irregular and clumsy manner, in conformity with the curvatures of the branches on which it is so firmly attached (part of them passing through its texture), that it is impossible to move it without leaving one-half behind. If, however, externally, the nest has the appearance of being badly constructed, we shall be all the more surprised to find that so small a bird, without other instrument than its bill, wings, and tail, should have felted vegetable down in such a manner as to render it a fabric as united and firm as cloth of good quality. The nest itself is of a rounded shape, with a narrow neck at its upper part, through which the bird glides into the interior. At the base of this tubular neck there is a niche, or shelf-like appendage, like a small nest resting against the large one, which serves as a momentary resting-place, by means of which the Pinc-Pinc may pass more easily into the nest, a feat which, without such a contrivance, it might have some difficulty in accomplishing, as it could not move through so small an entrance on the wing, and the walls of the tube are so slightly formed, that the bird would injure them were it constantly to rest upon them. This little appendage is as firmly felted as the interior. Sometimes there are two or three of these perches. It has until lately been supposed that the female alone undertook the whole labour of building this strange and beautiful structure, but we learn from Tristam, whose statement is confirmed by Jerdon, that the male does considerably more than half of the work. "I had the good luck," says Tristam, "to find a nest that was just commenced, and was able daily to observe the whole process. The first egg was laid before the outer wall was more than an inch high, the male continuing to labour without intermission, until by the time the nestlings were hatched the fabric was quite firm, and full three inches in height. The eggs vary considerably in appearance; those we found in Spain were of a uniform light blue, others again are bluish green, sparsely marked with small or large brown, reddish, or black spots, or pure white spotted with bright red. The young are tended by both parents with much affection; the male especially appears entirely to lay aside his usual timidity, and will frequently follow an intruder for some distance, uttering low cries, as if to scare him from the spot."

The proceedings of a family of young birds are most entertaining to behold, as they climb and flutter about the grass or corn, while the busy father and mother seek food for their hungry progeny. No sooner has one of the parents succeeded in capturing an insect than the whole flock hurry with tails upraised to receive it, each scrambling with earnest endeavour to be first, and obtain the coveted morsel. Should danger be at hand, the mother disappears with her young to some safe retreat, while the father rises into the air, and flies about in his usual manner. Savi tells us that the Pinc-Pinc breeds thrice in the year--in April, June, and August. We ourselves have found nests in May, June, or July.

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The TAILOR BIRDS (_Orthotomus_) constitute a remarkable group of Bush Warblers, and are at once recognisable by their elongated body, much rounded wing, in which the fifth and sixth quills are the longest; their short abruptly rounded or graduated tail, composed of very narrow feathers; and by their powerful feet with high tarsi and short toes; the beak is long, straight, broad at the base, and pointed at the tip, and in every respect admirably adapted for the sewing operations it has to perform; the base of the bill is surrounded by a few delicate bristles; the plumage is smooth and brightly coloured, usually green on the back and rust-red on the head.

THE LONG-TAILED TAILOR BIRD.

The LONG-TAILED TAILOR BIRD (_Orthotomus longicauda_) is of a yellowish olive-green on the mantle, red on the crown of the head, and greyish red upon the nape; the under surface is white with faint blackish spots upon the sides of the breast. The quills are brown edged with green, the tail-feathers brown shaded with green, those at the exterior are tipped with white. In the male the two centre tail-feathers are considerably prolonged. The length of this species is six inches and a half, the wing measures two, and the tail three inches and a half; the female is not more than five inches long, and her tail does not exceed two inches. The Tailor Birds are found throughout all parts of India, from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin, also in Ceylon, Burmah, and the neighbouring countries, frequenting such localities as are not entirely destitute of trees or bushes. In these situations they usually live in pairs or small families, and pass their days in hopping nimbly from twig to twig in search of insects, caterpillars, and larvæ, upon which they subsist. When moving over the ground or eating they keep the tail erect, and elevate the feathers upon the head. The manner in which they construct their strange and beautiful nest is truly wonderful. Having chosen a leaf of adequate dimensions, the ingenious sempstress draws the edges together by means of her bill and feet, then, piercing holes through the approximated edges, she secures them in their place by means of cotton threads, the ends of which she ties into small bunches and thus fastens them, so as to prevent them from slipping through. Sometimes the Tailor Bird, having picked up a fallen leaf, fastens it to one still growing on the tree by sewing the two together in the manner above described, and thus prepares a pensile cradle in which the nest is constructed. The interior is lined with a thick layer of cotton, flax, and other vegetable fibres, mixed with a little hair, and on this comfortable bed the eggs are laid and the young live secure from the attacks of monkeys or snakes. The brood consists of three or four eggs, which are white, spotted with brownish red at the broad end.

"This bird is most common," says Jerdon, "in well-wooded districts, frequenting gardens, hedgerows, orchards, low jungle, and even now and then the more open parts of high tree jungles. It is usually seen in pairs, at times in small flocks, incessantly hopping about the branches of trees, shrubs, pea rows, and the like, with a loud, reiterated call, or picking various insects, chiefly ants, cicadellæ, and various small larvæ, off the bark and leaves, and not unfrequently seeking them on the ground. It has the habit of raising its tail whilst feeding, and hopping about, and at times, especially when calling, it raises the feathers, and displays the concealed black stripes on its neck. The ordinary note of the Tailor Bird is, 'To-wee! to-wee! to-wee!' or, as it is syllabised by Layard, 'Pretty! pretty! pretty!' When alarmed or angry it has a different call. It is a familiar bird, venturing close to houses, but, when aware that it is watched, it becomes wary and shy.

"The Tailor Bird makes its nest with cotton wool and other soft materials, sometimes also lining it with hair, and draws together one leaf or more, generally two leaves, on each side of the nest, and stitches them together with cotton, either woven by itself, or cotton thread picked up, and, after passing the thread through the leaf, it makes a knot at the end to fix it. I have seen a Tailor Bird at Saugor watch till the _dirzee_ (native tailor) had left the verandah where he had been working, fly in, seize some pieces of thread that were lying about, and go off in triumph with them. This was repeated in my presence several days running. I have known many different trees selected to build in; in gardens very often a guava-tree. The nest is generally built at from two to four feet above the ground. The eggs are two, three, or four in number, and, in every case I have seen, were white, spotted with reddish brown, and chiefly at the large end."

Colonel Sykes tells us that the eggs are crimson, but he has probably mistaken the nest and eggs of _Prinia socialis_, which last are sometimes of a uniform brick-red. Hodgson suspects that there are two species confounded under one name, as he has on several occasions got unspotted _blue_ eggs from a Tailor Bird's nest. These were probably those of _Prinia gracilis_, the eggs of which are blue. Layard describes one nest "made entirely of cocoa-nut fibre, encompassed by a dozen leaves of oleander, drawn and stitched together. I cannot call to recollection ever having seen a nest made with more than two leaves."

THE EMU WREN.

The EMU WREN (_Stipiturus malachurus_), one of the most remarkable birds found in Australia, is distinguished by the very unusual formation of the web of the six feathers that compose the tail, a peculiarity most observable in the male. The upper part of the body is brown, striped with black; the top of the head rust-red; the chin and throat pale blueish grey; the rest of the under side is bright red, the quills are dark brown edged with reddish brown, and the tail-feathers dark brown; the eye is reddish brown, and the beak and feet brown. In the female the top of the head is streaked with black, and the region of the throat red instead of blue.

The genus _Stipiturus_, according to Mr. Gould, is a form entirely confined to Australia. These birds frequent extensive grass-beds, particularly those which occur in humid situations. They run quickly over the ground, and carry the tail erect, like the _Maluri_. Some slight variation occurs in specimens from Tasmania and Southern and Western Australia, but, probably, they are all referable to one species.

"The delicate little Emu Wren," says Dr. Bennett, "although formerly seen in great numbers in the vicinity of Sydney, is now very rare. It was also named the Cassowary Bird by the early colonists, from the peculiar feathers in the tail, and was first described in 1798, in the _Linnæan Transactions_. It is an active little creature, running rapidly among the grass, and, from the shortness of its wings, appears ill adapted for flight. Some years since it congregated in great numbers in the Sydney Domain, near the Botanic Garden, but for some time not one has been seen in that locality. This bird rarely perches on a bush at an elevation of more than three or four feet from the ground; it is usually observed darting quickly over the long grass, and, by its activity, readily eludes pursuit."

"This curious little bird," says Mr. Gould, "has a wide distribution, since it inhabits the whole of the southern portion of Australia, from Moreton Bay on the east to Swan River on the west, including Tasmania. Among the places where it is most numerous in the latter country are the swampy grounds in the neighbourhood of Recherche Bay in D'Entrecasteaux Channel, the meadows at New Norfolk, Circular Head, and Flinder's Island in Bass Straits. On the continent of Australia, Botany Bay and, indeed, all portions of the country having a similar character are favoured with its presence.

"The Emu Wren is especially fond of low, marshy districts, covered with rank high grasses and rushes, where it conceals itself from view by keeping near the ground, and in the midst of the more dense parts of the grass-beds. Its extremely short round wings ill adapt it for flight, and this power is consequently seldom employed, the bird depending for progression upon its extraordinary capacity for running; in fact, when the grasses are wet from dew or rain, its wings are rendered perfectly unavailable. On the ground it is altogether as nimble and active; its creeping, mouse-like motions, and the extreme facility with which it turns and bounds over the surface, enabling it easily to elude pursuit, and amply compensating for the paucity of its powers of flight. The tail is carried in an erect position, and is even occasionally retroverted over the back.

"The nest, which is a small ball-shaped structure, with rather a large opening on one side, is composed of grasses lined with feathers, and artfully concealed in a tuft of grass or low shrub. One that I found in Recherche Bay contained three newly-hatched young; this being the only nest I ever met with, I am unable to give any description of its eggs from my own observation; but the want is supplied by the following account of this species from the pen of Mr. E. P. Ramsay, published in the _Ibis_ for 1865:--

"'I had for many days visited the swamps on Long Island, where these birds are very plentiful, in the hope of finding them breeding, but it was not till the 25th of September that I succeeded in discovering a nest, although I had watched them for hours together for several days. While walking along the edge of the swamp on that day a female flew from my feet out of an overhanging tuft of grass, growing only a few yards from the water's edge. Upon lifting up the leaves of the grass which had been beaten down by the wind, I found its nest carefully concealed near the roots, and containing three eggs. They were quite warm, and within a few days of being hatched, which may account for the bird being unwilling to leave the spot; for, upon my returning about five minutes afterwards, the female was perched upon the same tuft of grass, and within a few inches of whence I had taken the nest. The nest was of an oval form (but that part which might be termed the true nest was perfectly round), placed upon its side; the mouth very large, taking up the whole of the under part of the front. It was very shallow, so much so that if tilted slightly the eggs would roll out, being almost on a level with the edge. It was outwardly composed of grass, and the young dry shoots of the reeds which are so common in all the swamps near the Hunter River, lined with fine grass, roots, and, finally, a very fine green moss. It was very loosely put together, and required to be moved very gently to prevent its falling to pieces.

"'The eggs are six lines and a half long by four and a half broad, they are sprinkled all over with minute dots of a light reddish brown, particularly at the larger end, where they are blotched with the same colour. One of the three had no blotches, but was minutely freckled all over. The ground-colour is a delicate white, with a blush of pink before the egg is blown.

"'The only note of the bird, besides a slight chirp when flushed and separated, is a twitter, not unlike a faint attempt to imitate the _Malurus cyaneus_. While in the swamp, which at that time was nearly dry, I observed several separate flocks; of these some were hopping along the ground, picking up something here and there, others, whose appetites seemed appeased, were creeping along through the reeds, about a foot from the ground, but as the reeds thickened I soon lost sight of them. They seldom took wing except when disturbed, and not always then, seeming very averse to showing themselves. While watching them, I observed one now and then hop to the top of a tall reed, as if to get a glimpse at the world above. Upon coming suddenly upon a flock and following them, they keep to the reeds just in front of you, and never take wing unless hard driven, when they separate, and do not collect for some time.

"'The male is readily distinguished from the female by the blue colouring of the throat, and by a somewhat greater development of the tail-feathers. The decomposed or loose structure of these feathers, much resembling those of the Emu, has suggested the colonial name of the Emu Wren for this species, an appellation singularly appropriate, inasmuch as it at once indicates the kind of plumage with which the bird is clothed, and the Wren-like nature of its habits.'"

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The WRENS (_Troglodytæ_) are small, compactly-built birds, with short wings and tails. Their beak is small, or of medium size, thin, awl-shaped, compressed at its sides, and slightly curved at its culmen; the feet are weak, short-toed, and the tarsi of moderate height; the wings, in which the fourth or fifth quill is the longest, are short, rounded, and much arched; the tail very short, conical, or slightly rounded. The plumage is usually reddish brown, marked with black. These little birds are to be met with all over the world, but are especially numerous in Europe, Asia, and America; everywhere they frequent the vicinity of trees or bushes, in whatever situation these are to be found, but most commonly prefer well-watered and cultivated districts. All the various species are restless, lively, and active; upon the ground, they hop with the utmost activity, and display a rapidity in creeping through the most tangled brushwood that is almost unrivalled. All are endowed with agreeable voices, and some American species sing very sweetly. The nests are generally of an oval shape, roofed above and furnished with a small entrance at the side; the materials employed vary considerably, according to the situations in which the nests are constructed, the places selected for building being sometimes curiously chosen. A Wren, as we are told by the Rev. J. G. Wood, made its nest in the body of a dead Hawk that was nailed to the side of a barn, and another in the interior of a pump, gaining access through the spout. As these birds testify little fear of man in South America, they are frequently provided with convenient receptacles for their nests, in order to induce them to build upon the roofs of the houses.

THE COMMON WREN.