16 Mr. A. D. Bartlett on the Mode of prepainng 



kept a long time in tins or earthen jars. It can also be used in 

 many other ways — for instance, mixed with moist food, such as 

 soaked bread, meat, fruit, potatoes or carrots. The peas can be 

 soaked or boiled, and then ground and mixed with other food. 

 In fact, peas ground afford a good and wholesome diet, and can 

 be strongly recommended for all birds that will eat them ; and 

 as they can be prepared in several ways, they are almost indis- 

 pensable. 



Ground Barley, Oats, Wheat, and Indian Corn soaked or boiled 

 [before grinding). — Any of these can be used, and, mixed with 

 fruit or meat, &c., form a good and wholesome food. Care is 

 necessary not to give too large a quantity of them, especially 

 when ground into fine flour, as it is liable to get too cloggy. 

 The introduction of bran or, better, pollard (fine bran), will pre- 

 vent this ; but always use meat, fat, or fruit when flour is used. 



Rice is best used with pea-meal, or some other food. By 

 no means attempt to use it alone. Boil it until soft, and then 

 mix with meat, fruit, meal, &c., or it may be fried in fat or oil, 

 after having been boiled to make it soft. Ground rice can be 

 mixed after having been scalded ; but it is better to boil it until 

 it is well done. 



Bread, Biscuits, &c. — In feeding with these, if the bread or 

 biscuit be stale or hard and dry, scald or soak it in water until 

 quite soft, then rub it up with pea or barley meal, &c., until the 

 required condition is obtained; then add meat or fruit, &c., if 

 thought desirable, according to the condition of the birds. 



Hemp-seed. — For many birds this seed is invaluable. It must 

 not, however, be used too freely ; for its stimulating power is 

 apt to produce disease. In order to regulate its use, it is well to 

 bruise or grind it, and then mix it with scalded or soaked bread, 

 or other soft food. The reason why this is recommended is 

 because some birds will not eat it whole, and, on the other hand, 

 some birds will pick it out from the other food and eat nothing 

 but this seed, and a fit of apoplexy generally follows. Still it is 

 strongly recommended in moderate use, and a drooping bird will 

 frequently be recovered by it. Care must be taken to see that the 

 seed is good, which may always be ascertained by bruising it. 

 When crushed it ought to be quite white inside and oily ; if yellow 



