On fhr K or ping of f^oft -Bills in Cages. HI 



least iiiipoi'tanei', is judicious admixture of fruil, which sliould 

 always li:' full\- i'i|)i', aiui, accordin.i^- to tlic season, the fol- 

 low iu.i;- I'i'uits will Ix" relished by most soll-l)ills, viz.: — 



Cherries, Currants (choi)iHMl up), Green Fiqs, Rasp- 

 berries, Blackberries, Mountain Ash Berries, Privet Berries, 

 Ripe Pears (sleepy), Apple (baked). Banana, and Elderberries. 



Then in spring-, as soon as obtainable, and all the sum- 

 mer, while the supply lasts, freshly-gathered ants' -cocoons; 

 also w(dl scoured i^nMitles and wasp-grubs. 



These thre(^ latter foods are particularly invaluable 

 for "meating off" freshly caught soft-bills in the spring, 

 and foi- moulting purposes in the autumn. 



To the novice this may appear a Tormidable ari'ay 

 of fcods and almost deter him from embarking upon the keep- 

 ing of softbills. but he will soon find in practice that it is 

 not so bad, as all the foods are not given at once, but more 

 or less in rotation. 



T have often been asked how I succeed in maintaining 

 the natural glossy appearance in the plumage of cage-moulted 

 birds. "Well, every oi'nithologist knows that all birds have 

 a fat gland, from which they extract oily matter to impart 

 to their feathers by means of their beaks; no doubt soft- 

 bills obtain a supply of oliferous matter from the various 

 kinds of live insects they feed on when at large, whereas 

 the food substitutes we supply them with, bging dried to pre- 

 serve them, are deprived more or less of same. It, therefore, 

 struck me, that here was something to make up, and for 

 years I have occasionally added to the food a little grated 

 Brazil nut or grated pine kernels, with beneficial results. 

 In fact all my birds relish their food much more when nut 

 is added to same. 



There is a great divergence of opinion as to the cor- 

 rect formula for mixing the various foods in riglit proportion. 

 I have studied this important point for many years, and culled 

 much valuable information not only from our own " Fancy " 

 press, Init also from Continental bird literature, and find that 

 the following stock mixture for such birds as Blackcaps, 

 Garden Warblers, Redstarts, Whitethroats, Nightingales, etc.; 

 is hard to beat, viz. : 



At night put the daily supply of dried Ant-Cocoons 



