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on dead birds and such like carrion unless you wish 

 to kill the birds that eat the mealworms. I give mine 

 nothing but bran and crusts of stale bread, and they 

 are alwaj-s fat and well liking. Never rvet the food. 

 If you do you will lose all your worms, and the smell 

 will be appalling, and 3'ou will be indicted as a 

 nuisance by the cook. 



The gcjitle ajcd necessary maggot should find a 

 place in every home — at any rate where there are 

 birds. I think I would hardly advise home culture. I 

 speak from experience. Some years ago I tried breed- 

 ing at home. I thought it would be cheaper than 

 buying. I have since altered my views. I remember 

 I told our butcher to bring us some lights, at the same 

 time impressing upon him that we did not need them 

 for domestic consumption. I shall never forget his 

 face as he answered, " Oh, no Sir, I never thought 3'ou 

 was going to eat them " 1 



A few mornings later the cook came to the dining 

 room door, and with a sniff informed me that the 

 butcher had left that 'stuff.' I believe her actual 

 words were " I've brought Mr. Farrar's meat." Ten- 

 derly I carried it out to the first field, where I had an 

 empty chicken hotise. I borrowed a meat hook from 

 the cook and soon had the 'joint' suspended. The 

 sun was blazing hot, and I knew that blue bottles 

 would soon arrive. In a few days the smell in that 

 field was so high that it reminded me of what John 

 Leech once said anent another smell, "I think that 

 stench is strong enough to sketch." 



I once kept white mice. I simply adored them. 

 The rest of the family alluded to my adored ones in 

 no measured language and in the rudest way "as 

 stinking little brutes." Well, my family said the 

 same of the gentles. They said either the maggots 

 should go or they would. 



I got hold of a poor man out of work : bade him 



