Chapter V 
HINTS ON THE REARING AND KEEPING OF 
BIRDS 
Most of the hard-biiled birds and many of the soft-billed may 
be reared with ease, but the latter are rather more delicate. The 
hard-billed birds, so called, include the finches, sparrows, and any 
birds that break seed. The soft-billed are those that eat chiefly 
insects and fruit. 
People often complain that their birds die from no apparent 
cause : my experience has been quite different, for though I have 
reared a good many birds of various kinds, I have never had but 
one death in my bird family, and that was a young redstart which 
had fallen from the top of a tree, where its nest was situated. | 
attribute my good fortune to the fact that my young birds get their 
meals with regularity and with each meal a drink of water. 
I believe it is the lack of water that is responsible for so many 
deaths, especially when the birds are very young. 
The best time to take fledglings is about a day or so before 
they are ready to leave the nest ; they are then fairly strong and 
have something to boast of in the way of looks. 
When the nest happens to be a long way from home, it is 
necessary to feed the birds every hour en route. With any of the 
frugivorous varieties a blackcap or any thoroughly ripe berry may 
be given, but it should first be masticated. For regular diet during 
the first fwo weeks or so feed with mashed boiled potato thor- 
oughly mixed with the yolk of eggs hard-boiled ; this must not 
be used if in the least sour, and to guard against this it should 
be made fresh every day. A small smooth stick of hard, non- 
absorbent wood, such as clay-modellers employ, may be used for a 
spoon ; after each meal it should be dipped into water and a few 
drops put into the bird’s mouth ; every hour this performance 
takes place, from six in the morning till nearly dark. You see 
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