FOOD OF TAME BIRDS. 11 



soon become sour, particularly the first, and consequently 

 hurtful. For this purpose I have a feeding-trough, round 

 which there is room enough for half my birds. It is better 

 to have it made of earthenware, stone, or delft ware, rather 

 than wood, as being more easily cleaned, and not so likely to 

 cause the food to become sour. 



The first paste agrees so well with all my birds, which are 

 not more than thirty or forty, at liberty in the room, that they 

 are always healthy, and preserve their feathers, so that they 

 have no appearance of being prisoners. Those which live only 

 on seeds, or only on insects, eat this food with equal avidity ; 

 and chaffinches, linnets, goldfinches, siskins, canaries, fauvettes,j 

 redbreasts, all species of larks, quails, yellow-hammers, buntings, 

 blue-breasts, and red-starts may be seen eating out of the 

 same dish. 



Sometimes, as a delicacy, they may be given a little hemp, 

 poppy, and rape-seed, crumbs of bread, and ants' eggs. One of 

 these is necessary for the birds of the third and fourth class. 



Every morning fresh water must be given to the birds, both 

 for drinking and bathing. When a great many are left at 

 liberty, one dish will do for them all, about eight inches long 

 and two in depth and width, divided into several partitions, by 

 which means they are prevented from plunging entirely inta 

 the water, and in consequence making the place always dirty 

 and damp*. A vessel of the same size and shape will do for 

 holding the universal paste, but then it must have no partitions. 

 Quails and larks require sand, which does for them instead of 

 water for bathing. 



Some birds swallow directly whatever is thrown to them : 

 great care must be taken to avoid giving them anything with 

 pepper on it, or bad meat. This must be a general rule. 1 

 shall also remark, that food sufficient for one day only must 

 be given to birds kept in cages, for they are accustomed to 

 scatter it about, picking out the best, and leaving only the 

 worst for the next morning ; this makes them pine, and puts 

 them out of humour. 



Mr. Sweet's food for soft-billed birds (sylviad^). 

 —The birds of this sort, though the finest songsters and most 



* If a rather large, flat, and not very deep vessel be used, in which the birds caTJ 

 bathe at their ease, it will make them more healthy and clean. — Thanslatok. 



