Finches. 201 



some preparation of egg food during nesting, which is 

 a matter of difficulty, as few of them will eat it, unless 

 forced to do so by its admixture with their seed. 

 Sponge cake soaked in water and drained, mixed with 

 hard-boiled egg and ants' eggs, must be given them, 

 and if they will not eat it themselves at first, they will 

 generally resort to it, if put into the cage when the 

 young birds are hatched, and feed them upon it. The 

 best food for all, when it can be procured, is fresh ants' 

 eggs, either the little eggs themselves, no larger than 

 a pin's head, or the pupae called by that name. Some 

 amateurs delay their bird -breeding till the season re- 

 turns in which these can be obtained. Dried ants' 

 eggs soaked in water for some time, and then dried 

 with a cloth or drained on blotting-paper, must be 

 given as a substitute for these when they are not to 

 be had. All require some kind of insect food when 

 breeding. 



As regards the temperature necessary, those birds 

 bred in aviaries or cages in Europe, would probably 

 require less heat than the native Africans. Some Cor- 

 don Bleus have, I know, been reared in England, and 

 probably most of the Waxbills could be bred in a 

 moderately heated conservatory. 



For nest materials they should have plenty of long 

 grass or hay, asparagus -sprays, blades of silver grass 

 or Pampas grass, or strips of bass or fine moss, and a 

 little cotton wadding, cow-hair, and feathers for the 



