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carry them on, lie tried hard ; but I suppose they were too many for him ;

and very soon, to my great disappointment, I found that the chirps from

that nest had ceased. The others throve without a hitch, and cries from

baby Gouldies grew stronger and stronger, until on October 31st two strong

little grey birds appeared, and were followed the day after by three more.

The plumage of all five is as glossy and smooth as can be, and all were

able to fly strongly from the first moment they left the nest.


And now as to food—it was simple enough, consisting only of canary

and millet seed—the latter being the large white millet, as it is more

sustaining than the small Indian kind that is sold in the ear. With these

seeds they gave their young a quantity of cuttle-fish, and were liberally

supplied, three or four times a-day, with road-side or lawn grass in seed. In

the aviary is a lump of rock-salt, and I frequently saw them peck at this.


M. D. Sharp.



BLUE-BIRD AND AMERICAN CAT-BIRD.


Sir,—I have a Blue Robin that has been in perfect health for the last

three years, but, since the moult, he has not regained his tail- or wing-

feathers, but is, in all other ways, perfect.


Will you kindly let me know how best to treat him ? He has been

fed on dried flies, auts’ eggs, hard-boiled egg and biscuits, and crumb of

bread and a few currants at times, besides other fruits.


Since I have noticed that he has not regained his feathers, I have

been giving him three mealworms each day, in a cage by himself.


I am having an American Cat-bird sent me within the course of the

next few days, and should be glad to know how best to feed it, and if this is

the correct name. H. W. Burgess.



The following answer was sent to Mr. Burgess :


All that you can do with the Blue-bird is to keep it warm, give plenty

of insect-food, mealworms, cockroaches, (or spiders if you can find any);

also about eight drops of syrup of phosphates in the drinking-water.


I think you are making a mistake in giving grocers’ currants to your

birds : they r are very tough-skinned fruit and difficult of digestion.


The American Cat-bird (Guleoscoptes carolinensis) in its wild state

feeds upon many forms of insect life, upon worms, slugs, and snails, also

upon small fruits and berries.


In captivity it maybe fed like the Mocking-bird, upon ‘ Century food,’

or crushed biscuit, yolk of egg, ants’ eggs, and dried flies, made into a

slightly damp or crumbly mixture either with a sprinkling of water, by

adding mashed boiled potato, or grated carrot.


Sweet-water grapes, orange, over-ripe pear, stewed apple, ripe

currants or strawberries when in season, may be given ; and a few meal¬

worms or some other insect food should certainly not be overlooked.


A. G. BuTEKR.



