THE NIGHTINGALE. 1 1 



be had, the Nightingale would not touch the former, 

 but I never knew it to refuse a black-beetle, though it 

 did not as a rule bolt them entire, but, unless very 

 hungry, would dismember and eat them at leisure. Of 

 daddy-long-legs it was very fond, but it would never 

 touch an earth w<5rm, differing much in this respect from 

 its congener the Robin Redbreast. 



In many of its " little ways" the Nightingale bears a 

 great resemblance to the latter familiar bird, and when 

 tamed is just as bold and confiding; but between their 

 songs there is no comparison, the minstrel of the 

 night being incomparably the better performer of the 

 two, though his melody does not last as long as that 

 of our friend with the red breast, which may be said 

 to continue, practically, throughout the year. 



But to return to the feeding, which is the chief 

 point for consideration in regard to the keeping of 

 birds in confinement: the lady who gave me Joey 

 wrote to say that he had been accustomed to a diet 

 of ground biscuit and yolk of hard-boiled egg, of each 

 equal parts, well rubbed up together in a mortar, but 

 not wetted, and a little lean meat, mutton or beef, 

 shredded finely and raw : also to about six mealworms 

 daily, and as many flies as could be procured. 



Needless to say, I religiously carried out the re- 

 commendations, but soon found that the bird wasted 

 far more of the egg and biscuit than he ate, and that 

 the raw meat, in addition to making the cage smell 



