92 BIRD-KEEPER'S MANUAL. 



it keep a box, two inches deep, and six or seven 

 inches square, filled with dry sand, or fine grave), 

 to dust themselves in ; of this, like the Shore Lark, 

 they are very fond. At the end, a piece of green 

 turf; this is very necessary, and should be re- 

 newed once a week, if convenient. Those who 

 keep this bird should have turf cut in the fall, 

 and kept in the cellar for winter use. He is 

 delighted with every new one he gets; he will eat 

 the grass off of it, and then stand on it and sing. 

 The cage should not be put high up in the room ; 

 they are a very timid bird, and apt to fly sud- 

 denly up when you open the cage door to feed 

 them, which is disagreeable ; and the bird may 

 get injured against the top of the cage. To get 

 them tame, and keep them so, it is better to hang 

 the cage about the height of your breast. I have 

 known tame birds get quite wild when put up 

 near the roof. If your bird flies about too much, 

 and is afraid of you, hang a cloth over the cage ; 

 they do not in general spring up, except when 

 you open the cage door. If a bird continues 

 doing so, it may be necessary to stretch a piece 

 of cotton cloth, as a roof to the cage, and then if 

 it does, it will not hurt itself. 



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FOOD. I have kept these birds, without diffi- 



