BIRDS LEFT TO STARVE. 29 



and put it in for the young birds as soon as they 

 leave the nest. 



Another source of great annoyance to bird-breed- 

 ers is, that occasionally the old birds desert the 

 young, and leave them to starve. This I never knew 

 to occur where birds were placed in a suitable place, 

 as described on p. 23, and always fed and cared 

 for by the same person. It is the constant annoy- 

 ance to which a bird is subjected that occasions 

 this. It is usually the fault of those who have had 

 this ill luck. They take great pride in the birds 

 they are prospectively going to raise ; and, as soon 

 as they are from the egg, the cage is taken down on 

 all occasions, and shown to every visitor ; and, when 

 it is too much trouble to take it down, the step- 

 ladder, a chair, or table is brought into action in 

 order to show up the bird family ; and then the 

 bird-dealers are asked the question, "Why did my 

 old bird desert the young before they were a week 

 old ? " Those who have had this ill luck doubtless 

 see wherein success in the future awaits them. 



Occasionally there is no apparent cause for the 

 old birds deserting the young. When such proves 

 to be the case, and the old birds are very good ones, 

 it is always well to bring the young up by hand, using 

 the food described above, and using a quill with a 

 small piece cut from one side, similar to the old- 

 fashioned quill-pen. It can then be used as a spoon ; 

 and, with three or four such spoonfuls, feed them 

 every hour; and not feed oftener than once an hour, 

 using judgment in not over-feeding the birds. It is 



