Early Rxpniciiccs. 123 



into a little honey: now I coarsely crumb bread or sponj^e cake 

 into a basin, add one tablespoonful of condensed milk, one tea- 

 spoonful of lioney, and then lill up the basin (me(liuni size) with 

 boiling water, and well stir, and sui)ply to the birds while luke- 

 warm. 



Seeds: — I have always .supi)lied three mixtures, but 

 sometimes have cond^ined the three in one mixture, thoui^h, 

 e\».ept with cashed birds the former practice is the more prefc 

 <ible. (I) Canary, white and Indian millet seeds. (J) Hemi' 

 ni.i^er, safflower, and suntlower seeds. (3) \\ ild seeds. In these 

 days, while prices contintie as they are. it is well to increase the 

 quantity of canary seed and lessen the btdk of millet. r^Iillet 

 sprays, too, are costly, l)ut these are .i^reatly favoured by cer- 

 tain species — waxbills, i^oiddian finches, etc. — and it is well, es- 

 l)ecially at nestiui^' time, to keep up a supjily. 



iiveenfood :- -\ have re,yularly supplied all kinds of g'ar 

 deii and hedt^erow weeds indiscriminately, omitting" only those of 

 k'.oun poisonous properties. All kinds of flowering" and seed- 

 ing heads of indigenous grasses are very valuable, as also are 

 dock, thistle, teazel, and many others — while leaves, flowers, 

 and seed-heads of shepherd's purse, chickweed, groundsel, 

 dandelion, sorrel, etc., if gathered when the plant consists of 

 leaves, flowers and half-ripe seeds, are greedily eaten while 

 fresh as also are the dried seeds later on — manv others besides 

 those named. 



In all mixed aviaries continuous supplies of grit, not sand 

 only, l)ut flint grit, cuttlebone, and rock salt should be main- 

 tained. 



In the foregoing, I have interpolated present practice, 

 with the " early experiences," hoping to make these notes of 

 more general use thereby. 



(To he eontinued). 

 <^^-¥^ 



