7 3 Bird-keeping. 



young may be reared from the nest on ants' eggs and 

 chopped meat. Mr. Sweet says a full-grown bird 

 caught by him took readily to bruised hemp-seed and 

 bread, and bread and milk, into which aphides and 

 other insects were sprinkled, and soon became very 

 tame and familiar with him. 



All these birds have a sweet melodious song, and 

 are pretty elegant birds, and desirable inmates of an 

 aviary; but all require a good deal of care and warmth. 



There are several other species of Warblers occa- 

 sionally kept in confinement the REED WARBLER, 

 SEDGE WARBLER, etc. all which require similar 

 treatment. Mr. Sweet says that the two birds last 

 mentioned (and the Wood Wren also) are so fond of 

 washing that they will often suffer from it in winter, 

 and that they should only be allowed a bath once a 

 week, on a fine dry morning, so that they may be able 

 to get dry quickly after it. He recommends the yolk 

 of hard-boiled egg, bruised and mixed with water, as 

 particularly good for them, but they all require insects 

 also. Such numbers of noxious creatures are devoured 

 by these birds, that gardeners are very unwise in 

 waging war against them. The Greater Pettichaps and 

 the Blackcaps are the most destructive to fruit-trees, 

 but all the Warblers do such good service to us by 

 destroying the insects which damage them far more 

 materially, that they may well be forgiven for taking 

 a few cherries and elderberries. 



