Hints on the Rearing and Keeping of Birds 
bird children are almost as much trouble as the human variety, 
and no one should keep them who is not willing to take infinite 
pains. 
The next atticle of diet should be ants’ eggs (which may be 
procured from any bird fancier), mixed with the potato and eggs— 
a little at first, and gradually increasing the amount ; finally, with 
hard-billed birds, seed may be given as soon as the bill is hard 
enough, though at first it is sometimes necessary to crack the 
hemp-seed before giving it. 
For soft-billed birds | know of nothing better than what is 
known as ‘‘mocking-bird food” ; this may be bought either in 
the dry or the moist form. The latter kind can be made from the 
following recipe : 
6 parts corn-meal. 
6 parts pea-meal. 
6 parts German moss-meal. 
Add a little melted lard and molasses, fry well for half an hour, 
keeping it well stirred. If put in a covered jar it will keep for a 
long time. 
This is rather rich, and if found to disagree with the bird the 
dry form of food should be substituted, mixing it fresh every day 
with grated carrot and water sufficient to moisten it. Birds must 
be watched carefully to see that their food agrees with them ; ex- 
cept when moulting they should be lively and have good appetites; 
if such is not the case, it is probable that the food does not suit 
them, and a change should be made immediately. Occasionally 
birds have fits ; that is to say, they drop down without any warn- 
ing, and either lie perfectly still, with feet upturned as though 
dead, or they revolve rapidly while on the ground. This hap- 
pened to one of my favourite pet birds, and in despair I consulted 
a bird dealer, who told me to cut the nail and thus draw blood. 
I did so, but without any result. Several times on alternate days 
the poor bird had these fits, and every time we believed him to 
be dying. Finally, as a last resource, we changed his diet from 
the moist to the dry food with plenty of carrot, and from that day 
he has been perfectly well, very much to our delight. 
It is advisable to give birds as much r7pe fruit and green stuff 
as they wish. Young lettuce they are particularly fond of, but 
they will eat almost any young leaves. 
25 
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