3/6 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



lliri'c limes a ilay. as il is mosl iinpdi'tanl Dial 

 tlu' food should 1)0 li'csh and sweet. I'eed llie 

 neslliiiiJis witli a l)lmU jjieee of wood pared 

 down as Tor I'eediiig" Thriis-hes (or a loolli-i)lel< 

 answers llie |>urpose), and as soon as lliey 

 cease to ga|>e Ihey ha\'e liad sidlieieiil lor llial 

 meal. If two or tliree well-eieaned lienlles 

 eul in lialf, oi' a small green caleri)illar or two 

 are given in addition several times a day. so 

 niueh ttie belter, and Ihe birds will thrive and 

 grow apace. In fad we ha\f liand-reai-ed 

 young Nightingales from Itie age of tivi' days on 

 hard-boiled while of egg alone, cut u|i into line 



SHOW C.^Gls FOR INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



shreds about the size of a gentle, feeding every 

 half hour from early dawn until dusk, occasion- 

 ally dipping some of the shreds of egg into 

 new milk before giving them to tlie birds. We 

 never losl a youngster, reared in Ibis \va\'. and 

 they grew up as line and rol)usl as any specimen 

 ever seen in its wild stale. Of course their 

 nest (I heir own by preference) nnist b<' kept 

 perfeclly cleau, clearing away the dro|)pin.L'> 

 at each feeding lime. The nest should not 

 only be placed in a Ijox (as in the case of 

 'rhruslies), but il should also be well surrounded 

 by fine-cnl meadow bay, as so frail and britlte 

 are the legs ot ttu'se birds until ttuy leave Ihe 

 nest, that a fall o\cr its side on to any bard 

 substance is sulbcii'nt to li'aclui'e a liuib (which, 

 by the way. if Ihe accidi'ul should ha|)]>en, 

 (piickly re-unites at this early age if ]iropeily 

 Irealed). 



As the \-oung Nightingales gel older and 

 commi'uce to feed themsehcs. a little boiled 

 carrol may be mi.xcd willi the looil mixtiu'e. and 

 Uie (juantity of biscuit gradnall\ inci'ease<l. 



until it constitutes one half, the remainder 

 being egg, ants' cocoons, and line tiranulated 

 nu'at meal in ecpial parts, made ci-und)ly moist 

 with milk or walei'. 'I'liis diel ma\- be xaried 

 b\ adding a little hard-boiled bullock's li\er 

 or beait grated up tine inslead of tin- meal 

 meal or egg occasionally. A furtlier change 

 may he made by adding a little silk-worm 

 |)n]ia' instead of the egg or meal meal occasion- 

 ally. A lillle finely grati'd raw carrot or swede 

 turnip or a little linely minced lender leltuce 

 should be added lo the mixture daily before 

 moislening il. as there is a certain amount of 

 moisture in Ihese. A sui>ply of in- 

 ( seels, grid)s, elc, such as Ihe birds 

 live on in their wild stale will be 

 Welcomed, and wlien Ih.ere is a 

 shortage of these, gentles may be 

 gi\'en in lliiir stead, or e\en a 

 meal worm or two, bul Ihe wild 

 food is prefei'able. 



Adult birds ai'e best captured 

 jusl (Ml their arrixal in .\pi'il, as 

 lhe\' then as a rule take nu)re 

 kimll\' lo cage lile and food. 

 Young birds captured when they can 

 do foi' Ihemselves are not diflicult 

 to get (JU lo food eil her : bul 

 whetlier adults or young birds, let 

 them lui\c a box cage about IS 

 inches long, \2 inches high, and 1(1 

 inches deep, with a ])iece of baize 

 or stout calii'o stretched lightly 

 across Ihe top for a roof instead 

 of wood. 'I'liis pre\eiils Ihe birds 

 injuring llieii' heads should they 

 hang up to Ihe top of the cage when 

 (li'st caught, and for the same reason a i>iece 

 of line muslin should be hung inside the wire 

 Iront for a few days. The muslin must be 

 while and very thin so as not lo exclude any 

 \\iX\\\ . The newh- caufiht Nightingale should 

 be placed so thai Ihere is ample light in 

 all jiarls of its cage, in a (puet room lo 

 ilsclf, and be .ui\en the lood mixlure just 

 icccmmiended for ycmng birds past Ihe nt'st- 

 ing stage, in a shallow dish inside the 

 cage, with a good sup])ly of live gentles over it 

 to induce the birds lo eat. When once they have 

 bad a |>ick oi' two they will soon be cpiiie 

 sale ; but a close wat<li must be kept that tlu'y 

 ilii eat. Those that do not must be taken in 

 tlie band se\-ei-al times daily lor a day oi' Uvo. 

 and Ibcir beaks opened wilb llie lingers, and 

 I wo or three live gentles or small green cater- 

 l>illars slipped in, afterwards passing a finger 

 li.utdly (i\er the bird's chin and throat, so as lo 

 cause (he bil'd to gulp them down. .\ few- 

 feeds in Ibis wav generally lead lo Ihe food 

 lieinti taken pidperly. pro\ ided a plentiful suppl> 



