Tanagers. 59 



some poisonous matter in the eye ; but at any rate the novice will 

 be wise to leave such birds severely alone, though some dealers 

 will assure you that the bird will soon lose that; but tlieu 

 according to some of them a bird will recover from anything. I 

 remember once finding a bird in a fresh consignment, that I had 

 been on the look out for for a very long time. I jumped at it and 

 put it in a small cage, but when it turned round, I saw one eye was 

 injured, it had very much the appearance of a film over it, but I 

 could see that the eye ball had been damaged b}' another bird, 

 I was assured that it would soon be allright, but I did not buy 

 it. However, it was sold, and about a fortnight after, the dealer 

 told me he bad heard from the lady who had bought, it that the 

 bird could see, and the eye had almost recovered. Unfortunately 

 for the truth of his story I came across the buyer of the bird, 

 quite by accident, about eight months afterwards and was told 

 that the eye never changed in appearance and the bird had just 

 died. 



I give my birds a simple insectivorous mixture made ot 

 Spratt's Puppy Cakes ground to a meal and ants' cocoons scalded 

 with enough water to just damp the meal, and sometimes some 

 ground silkworms' cocoons, mixed with grated carrot and chopped 

 lettuce, when obtainable ; this of course is freshly made each 

 morning. I also give them plenty of ripe fiuit, such as banana, 

 orange, tangerine, apple, pear, grapes, strawberries, cherries, etc. 

 So many of the smaller Tanagers live almost entirely upon fruit, 

 but I always try to encourage them to eat some of the insecti- 

 vorous food, and they most of tliem enjo}' a mealworm or so 

 during the da}', but I do not give them mote than this, as in cage 

 life I think they can be overdone. Occasionalh', aljout a tea- 

 spoonful of scalded bluebottles is mixed into the food, and 

 I find these are much appreciated, especially in the winter 

 months. 



It is said that some Tanagers, such as the Black, can be 

 kept on seed alone, but I do not believe it. I had a Black Tanager 

 for some \eais, to which I used to give a little Canary seed, but I 

 am sure it would not have survived long on that alone. I once 

 had a Black-necked Tanager that never would touch anything 

 but banana, and even that had to be exactly to its liking. If you 



