207 



The weather was stormy and very cold, and des- 

 pite every precaution against exposure a number of 

 the cliicks were taken sick, apparently with colds or 

 pneumonia, and five died within the first ten days. 

 One was killed in the nesttlie first day. Subsequently 

 two were snagged by cats which reached through the 

 inch-mesh wire of tlieir enclosure, and died in con- 

 sequence of their wounds. This leaves four of the 

 original stock, and at present writing they are as fine, 

 vigorous birds as one could find in the covers. 



About the first of October two wild birds which 

 had flown against windows in the city were added to 

 the flock. These, under the influence of tlie others, 

 rapidly became practically as tame as they, and we 

 thus have a stock of six healthy birds, from probably 

 four different broods. 



My plan of feeding has been to give the birds the 

 greatest possible variety, — as much as practicable like 

 the foods they would be likely to find in the woods, — 

 and to study and note their preferences. The feeding 

 can probably be simplified when we discover the 

 staples and essentials. At first the chicks were given 

 ripe blowfly maggots and pheasants' custard. They 

 were able to pick up the maggots from the second day 

 on, and these remained the staple diet until about the 

 middle of September ; after that its place was taken 

 by live grasshoppers. 



Along with the foods above mentioned, I gave, 

 especially during the first weeks, great abundance and 

 variety of small insects : plant lice, thrips and rose 

 slugs, spiders, "ant eggs," mosquitoes and mosquito 

 "wrigglers," small earth worms, flies, and gnats; also 

 small grasshoppers and moths, obtained by sweeping 

 the grass and bushes with an insect net. The chicks 

 were also given their freedom, — the free run of the 

 lawn and garden as much as possible. 



