121 



"MEATING OFF" 

 AND FEEDING SOFT-BILLS. 



By John Frostick. 

 [Continued front page g'j.) 



GENTLES— which are the larva of either thenieat- 

 fl\' [Mnscii votnitoria) couiinoiily known as the " blue- 

 bottle " or the housefly [M. domestica)—2ihQr t\\&y have 

 been well scoured in dry earth, are not any more 

 repulsive to the most refined than mealworms are. 

 Although I do not think they approach the latter from a 

 dietetic standard, still they are very useful in helping to 

 "meat off " fresh caught birds, are relished at all times, 

 cost nothing but the trouble of getting them, and can be 

 had at a time when most required and mealworms not to 

 be obtained; therefore I consider them an adjunct to the 

 bird room larder not to be lightly passed over. 



I understand that in the large towns of India, such as 

 Calcutta, insectivorous birds are chief favourites, and are 

 fed for the most part on the flour of gram, a kind of 

 pulse, made up into a paste with ghee (clarified butter), 

 and supplemented largely with maggots and grass- 

 hoppers. Mr. C. Harrison, a gentleman who lived many- 

 years in India, and from whom I bought Dyal Birds and 

 Shamas, told me that there are quite a number of men 

 who make a living by breeding gentles or maggots, 

 collecting grasshoppers, and making the food as above, 

 which they call "sattoo," and for an exceedingh' small 

 sum will call at the houses of their customers daily and 

 leave a sufficient quantit}' for the day's use. vSucli an 

 arrangement is no doubt very economical, but would 

 scarcely be practicable in any country but India, where 

 for a few pence a day the coolies can exist in comfort. 

 It is highly interesting to know that the feeding of 

 insectivorous birds is understood, and that their re- 

 quirements in captivity are so intelligently catered for, 

 by the natives of our vast Indian Knipire, and tliat 

 gentles form a daily portion of the food for such de- 

 lightful birds as Bulbuls, Shamas, Dyals, Robins, etc., 



