Feeding and Keeping llardbills. 7S 



crawlers and creepers, however; many of these can be placed 

 in boxes filled with loose mould with the insects lightly buried in 

 same, and an odd one or two scattered on the top — two or three 

 ot such boxes placed about the aviary would secure an even 

 and fairly continuous distribution of the live food, and having, 

 as it were, to work for their living, checks over stimulation. 

 Then arises the question as to kind of insects to use — the 

 following two lists enable a varied supply to be kept up. 



To be coninicrcially obtained: ^Mealworms, gentles, 

 live ants' " eggs," and wasp grubs. 



To be gathered jro)n garden or countryside : Beetles, 

 spiders, earwigs, smooth caterpillars, flies, plant hoppers, blight 

 (aphis), and most plant pests. 



Insectile Mixture (Softfood): This should be supplied 

 a ! the year round for such as care to take it, but it is especially 

 important during the breeding season — a business man cannot 

 be on hand to supply live insects every two or three hours, and 

 ihe insectile mixture fills the gap and prevents disaster. The 

 Vt'rieties of soft food mixtures are legion and many of them are 

 good, but if one makes one's own mixture, its ingredients are 

 knov/n, and it is nuich cheaper — the simpler its composition the 

 better. The base of the mixture must be some kind of biscuit 

 meal that is crushed to the size of white millet seed. Either of 

 t!e following are excellent : Spratt's Cod-liver oil and Cage- 

 bird Food — Dog Biscuit (any good make). Get 7 lbs. of either 

 one or the other (or ring the changes on the two) ; 1 lb. Best 

 ants' eggs, and 2 lbs. Dried flies. Compound by measure, not 

 by weight. Take, say three teacupsful of biscuit meal to one 

 each of dried flies and ants' eggs, and well mix — it can be mixed 

 in bulk and will keep indefinitely if stored in a dry place. For 

 use, take sufficient for the day's supply, and make crumbly moist 

 with boiling water, and keep it covered up till cool. 



Milk Sop : This also is excellent for such species as will 

 take it, and especially helpful during the breeding- season. 



Now I expect all this will seem very formidable to my 

 readers — I have risked verbosity so as to be more sure of 

 making all clear — it is more formidable in print than in practice. 

 Ar the time when I was tied to an office all day I have mixed 

 the food and done the round of three outdoor aviaries and 



