BIRD-LICE AND IMPROPER FOOD. 95 



and they will crawl up, and in a few days you will 

 be rid of them. Clean your cage very thoroughly 

 before you replace your bird therein ; and, with 

 proper attention to cleanliness, you will not again 

 be troubled with them. 



Experience has taught us that nine-tenths of the 

 ailments of birds are caused by improper feeding. 

 Bits of sugar, candy, daily green food, grapes, meat 

 from the table, all are bad for any bird. Birds need 

 plain food, regularly given. Seed-birds require seed 

 free from dust ; other birds, food mixed daily in 

 clean vessels. A bath should be given the mocking- 

 bird daily ; and the vessel should be removed from the 

 cage when the bird has bathed. You can soon 

 teach any bird to bathe directly when you give him 

 his bath, if you give it to him at the same hour each 

 day. If irregular yourself, the bird will contract the 

 same habit. 



These remarks on the mocking-bird will also apply 

 to the thrush, starling, lark, nightingale, robin, black 

 cap, and, in fact, all the family of soft-bill birds, 

 [n doctoring your sick bird, ascertain as nearly as 

 possible what his complaint is, and apply the rem 

 edy ; if it does not succeed, try another. Birds have 

 been known to be at the point of death with cos 

 dveness, when a small spider has been forced down 

 their throats, and a large knitting-needle, dipped 

 into oil, inserted into the passage as an injection, 

 and the bird caused to fly a few feet, when imme 

 diate relief followed, and in a few hours the bird 

 was again in song. 



