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latter with natnial food, which is probably the reason 

 why many of these delicate creatures are more hardy, 

 when acclimatized, than some of the seed-eating species, 

 which often suffer from constipation and liver disease. 

 Witli other soft-billed birds, which should require a large 

 number of insects to keep them in good health, we again 

 labonrunderourinability to supply them with natural food 

 — yet soft-billed birds, generally, are not more difficult 

 to keep in captivity than fruit-eaters proper. Some may 

 find the reverse to be the case in fact ; but just consider 

 for a moment what we offer most of these species : Fruit, 

 correct. Bullocks liver, scraped beef, bread, potato, 

 grated carrot, egg, and sometimes a heterogeneous mass 

 of heaven knows what, called " Insectivorous food ! " 

 If, from the latter, we subtract a few dried flies and some 

 ants " eggs " or cocoons, how much of the foregoing can 

 the birds obtain in a state of liberty ? 



The longevity of our pets in captivity is of course 

 considerably influenced by their constitution when 

 captured, and general hardiness as a species. Climatic 

 conditions, while guiding us in their treatment, are by no 

 means an infallible test as to the amount of heat or cold 

 a given bird will stand with health and safety to itself. 

 To the uninitiated, it is a matter of surprise to be told, 

 when seeing a bird in good condition, that its original 

 liome was in tropical Africa, or the forests of South 

 America. And perhaps few of us realise what an 

 iitimense difference exists in a bird's mode of life when 

 transported from such a land, to a small prison in our 

 bleak island. 



And now first let me pass to the other and perhaps 

 more popular side of a bird's nature, viz., its individualit}', 

 To the vast majority of people, who are not aviculturists, 

 a bird is simply a bird. To those, however, who find 

 keen enjoyment in the company of birds, they are 

 personal creatures, each with ideas and manners peculiar 

 to itself. To thoroughly grasp and appreciate this fact 

 needs a close and watchful eye on their actions ; and in a 

 large aviary, containing a proportionate number of birds, 



