152 Early Exf^erioiccs. 



I'lie lien commenced layiii.i; attain on June i8th, and 

 hatched ont three more youn,^' on July 2nd. one day earlier than 

 the fn-st hrood. As I write, tlie parent-s appear to be looking- 

 after this family well and 1 am hoping;' they may successfully rear 

 them also. 



The other four young" birds have been transferred to a 

 large cage and appear to be quite happy and not suffering from 

 any undue diminution of appetite thereby. 



Keeping the Food Moist: I have latterly been experi- 

 menting with food dishes with a view to preventing rapid drying 

 up of the insectile mixture wliich is difficult to avoid in this 

 warm weather. I am now trying the effect of putting the food 

 in a small porous flower-pot saucer which is placed in another 

 the same size containing a little water. I tind this keeps the food 

 moist all day, and furthermore 1 think the rough surface will 

 prevent uneven growth of beaks which often results from 

 feeding' birds in cages out of glazed dishes. This may be 

 quite an old idea. 



<C-M^ . 



Early Experiences. 



By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S. Etc. 

 (Continued from page 12^). 



In my very early experiences my cag^es and sinall aviaries 

 were confined chiefly to British hardbills, and I purpose com- 

 menting on these first. Most of them were captured by means 

 of the sieve-trap, operated by a long piece of cord from a dis- 

 tance. Such as bullfinches, goldfinches and siskins were mostly 

 obtained from the local dealer; Init redpolls, greenfinches, lin- 

 nets, chaffinches, accentors, and blue and great tits. etc.. were 

 captured in the garden. 



I may say at once as regards the last named (tits), 

 that no attempt was made to breed them, my accommodation 

 being then quite insufficient; they were simply kept as cage pets. 

 Losses were very few, though no real attempt at meating- 

 off was made. They were fed on hemp and sunflower seeds, 

 shelled nuts, bits of fat and suet, cake crumbs, and insects, and 

 they throve well. 



