Warblers. 89 



on their legs, but I have not heard of this as common 

 to others of the species, so it may have been due to 

 giddiness or weakness from want of nourishing food. 

 I have had a pair of these birds for several months 

 living in a large square cage, with a small fir-tree in a 

 flower-pot in the centre, and I find them very easy to 

 satisfy as to food. 



They thrive well upon Mr. Hawkins' German paste 

 specially prepared for Pekin Nightingales, and currants 

 and Sultana raisins, soaked till soft, as their staple food, 

 but they like variety in their diet : a little finely-minced 

 meat, the Hartz Mountain bread, a slice of bread and 

 butter, mashed potato, boiled cauliflower and carrot, 

 rice pudding, etc. The only seed I see them eat is 

 hemp, which they swallow whole. I was particularly 

 advised to give them mealworms, but they will never 

 touch these or any other grubs or insects, excepting a 

 fly now and then. They moulted in the autumn, and 

 the hen suffered for some weeks then from an abscess, 

 of the size of a marble, over one eye. I was advised 

 to apply glycerine to this, and it appeared to relieve 

 the poor bird for the time, but the swelling did not 

 diminish, and I began to despair of a cure. A kind 

 medical friend, however, suggested painting the abscess 

 with sulphate of zinc (ten grains dissolved in two 

 ounces of water), and I carried out this treatment 

 twice a day, and the swelling gradually shrank, and, 

 after a slight discharge, dried up, and the bird has no 



