10 INTRODUCTION. 



winter, oats; the chaffinches, rape-seed, and sometimes in 

 summer a little crushed hemp-seed. Too much hemp-seed, 

 however, is hurtful to birds, and should only be given as a 

 delicacy now and then, for when they eat too much of it they 

 become asthmatic, blind, and generally die of consumption. 

 Yellow-hammers like the same food as the larks, without the 

 vegetables; the tits like hemp-seed, pine-seed, bacon, meat, 

 suet, bread, walnuts, almonds, and filberts. 



The birds of the first class are easily preserved in the house, 

 at least if not taken during the pairing season, for then the loss 

 of their liberty affects them so much that they become sullen, 

 and die of hunger. 



Although the notice of a universal remedy is generally 

 rather suspected, I cannot refrain from here recommending 

 one or two sorts of paste which I have always used, and which 

 agreed so well with all my birds, excepting those which I keep 

 in cages on account of their beautiful songs, that it may justly 

 be termed general or universal food : it is not only very simple 

 and cheap, but also prevents great loss of time to those who 

 possess a great many birds. 



THE UNIVERSAL PASTE. To make the first paste, take a 

 white loaf which is well baked and stale, put it into fresh 

 water, and leave it there until quite soaked through, then 

 squeeze out the water and pour boiled milk over the loaf *, 

 adding about two thirds of barley-meal with the bran well 

 sifted out, or, what is still better, wheat-meal ; but, as this is 

 dearer, it may be done without. 



For the second paste, grate a carrot very nicely (this root 

 may be kept a whole year if buried in sand), then soak a 

 small white loaf in fresh water, press the water out, and put 

 it and the grated carrot into an earthen pan, add two handfuls 

 of barley or wheat meal, and mix the whole well together with 

 a pestle. 



These pastes should be made fresh every morning, as they 



* The reason of this union of vegetable and animal food may be easily seen ; 

 the bread supplies the seed for the birds of the first class, and the milk the insects 

 for those of the second, while the third and fourth here find their mixed food ; and 

 thus it ought to agree with all. Besides, the birds of the first class do not confine 

 themselves exclusively to seeds ; in their wild state they eat many insects, and 

 some even feed their young entirely with them ; this proves that animal food is 

 sometimes useful and beneficial to them. TRANSLATOR. 



