74 THE MOCKING BIRD. 



eat rice, boiled soft, in milk, and sweetened, 

 which is very nutritious. 



They should also have insects of various 

 kinds, as grasshoppers, and beetles, on every 

 possible occasion. Spiders, and meal-worms, 

 which last can be obtained at any granary, 

 will immediately revive them, if given when 

 they are either drooping or sick. 



Boiled eggy and bread, mixed in the same 

 manner as for breeding canaries, and moist- 

 ened with water, may be given in the stead 

 of Indian meal, but it does not answer to 

 mix boiled potatoes with the egg, as this 

 mixture soon sours. Cedar, and other ber- 

 ries, must be dried in an oven, and put up 

 in glass jars, as otherwise worms will get in 

 them, and the bird will refuse to eat them. 



The water and food ought to be placed in 

 a situation where no dirt will get in ; a good 

 plan is to place a thin board across the cage, 

 resting on the bars ; also, put gravel on the 

 bottom of the cage. 



In the cage, during the summer season, the 

 mocking bird should be regularly supplied 

 with water once a day, and if the weather 

 be very warm, twice, in a deep and large 

 vessel, as this bird requires a great deal of 

 water when washing. In the latter instance, 

 he should be kept in a situation where he 

 will have plenty of air ; but not in one where 

 the scorching rays of the sun would fall for 

 several hours together, upon his cage, as this 

 would at once kill him in the summer time, 



