56 THE NIGHTINGALE. 



bird was for sale the owner replied, " Oh, yes." Then 

 he took a slip of paper, consulted his wife, made 

 quite a long column of figures and adding them up, 

 said, " 15,000 francs." Asked for an explanation, he 

 replied, " The bird alone cannot be sold ; you must 

 pay for the house and ground and the wife, too, for 

 she could not live without the bird." I admired the 

 wife's love for the bird, but not intensely enough to 

 warrant my owning both. 



FOOD. Use the dry prepared food. Take a table- 

 spoonful and an equal quantity, or a little more, of 

 grated raw carrot and its juice, mix thoroughly. 

 When carrot, late in season, is not juicy add a little 

 water. When the juicy carrot and food is mixed 

 properly the particles should fall apart and not be 

 paste-like enough to all stick together. Add a dessert 

 spoonful of ants' eggs which have been moistened 

 with water. Besides this the bird may have daily 

 from six to twelve meal worms. Currants thoroughly 

 soaked are good, as is also any fresh fruit or berry in 

 its season. The regular bird gravel should be used, 

 and bath given three or four times a week. In illness, 

 follow the treatment as given for the Mocking-bird. 



CAGE. The cage now used which I have had 

 specially arranged is all brass, body n x i3x 17 

 inches high, with mocking-bird cups, and perches 

 half inch diameter. It has a new pattern of base, 

 extending so that food cannot be thrown out. 



