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bation, the birds were always to be seen sitting on some 

 railings a few yards distant ; while during the five days 

 the eggs were being laid, the}^ were never to be seen. 



In captivit}^ Flycatchers should be fed on ants' 

 eggs and hard-boiled eggs mixed in equal parts, and 

 as many mealworms as their keeper can afford to give 

 them. They become very tame, and will rise in the air 

 and catch mealworms as they are thrown to them. In 

 catching a mealworm, the}^ leave the perch and hover 

 in the air, waiting for the mealworm to drop, and catch 

 it as it passes them ; if they should miss it, they follow 

 it closely and catch it as soon as it reaches the ground. 



The reason they are so seldom seen in the cage, is 

 probably the difficulty with which they are " meated 

 off" when first captured. 



The best plan for meating them off, is to get tw^o 

 or three together in a moderate sized cage, giving them 

 some water and food (as described above) in some 

 open receptable, such as the lid of a cocoa tin. On 

 the food place some dozen or so of mealworms, which 

 have been killed to prevent their escape, and throw 

 some alive on the floor of the cage. The cage should 

 be placed in a quiet place, and left for some time. 

 Look at them in the evening, and unless there is a 

 a visible decrease in the food, it will be best to cram 

 them with two or three very small pieces of white of 

 hard-boiled egg, a mealworm and a drop of water. 

 Give them their breakfast in a similiar way, and watch 

 them carefully. If the}- begin to look ' thick,' that is 

 with their feathers puffed out, give them a meal regu- 

 lary every two hours. Should no improvement show 

 itself by the following morning, and they have begun 

 at the same time to lose flesh, it is best to let them go, 

 as they will never live in a state in confinement. If, 

 on the other hand, they remain close-feathered, they 

 will probably be well on their food in a few days, 



