FOOD AND (!ARE. 265 



can absorb, aiitl give twice a day as much egg chopped fine as will lay ou a twenty- 

 five-ceut piece. Let the mated birds have the boiled eggs chopped fine, and a little 

 cracker-dust mixed with it, fresh three or four times a day, plenty of apple or 

 lettuce or duckweed, and an abundance of coarse gravel. Before each laying 

 furnish pounded oyster-shells, or crushed old plastering. The German summer 

 rape-seed, Sicily canary-seed, and the millet-seed, equal parts mixed, should be the 

 regular diet a small quantity of hemp-seed will also be beneficial. 



When young birds are a week old they may be transferred to a new, clean 

 nest, which should be the same style as the old one : if the nest is properly cared 

 for, the birds will seldom be troubled with insects ; but, should these pests appear, 

 use the German insect-powder, following strictly the directions on the package. 



When a bird is moulting out of season, it is because he has a cold. Follow the 

 suggestions heretofore made for such cases. 



MARCH APRIL. 



Fits claim many birds, that, if judiciously fed, would have lived many years in 

 health. Some birds are naturally so weak as to be subject to the spasms of fainting, 

 and in such a case the remedy is a sprinkling of cold water. 



Another kind of fit has an apoplectic nature ; and, besides the usual causes, it is. 

 often induced by hanging the bird in the hot sunshine. Many persons hang a cage 

 close to a window in strong sunlight, where the heat is greatly augmented by the 

 glass. It is certainly very desirable, and, indeed, necessary to health, that a bird 

 should have sunlight ; but it is cruel to hang a bird in a position where in half an 

 hour he will drop to the bottom of the cage gasping for breath, or in a fit. 



Whatever may cause fits, the Canary, or other small seed-eating birds subject to 

 them, should have carefully regulated plain food, plenty of rape-seed, some millet- 

 seed, very little canary, and no hemp, and, occasionally, to aid digestion, a drop 

 or two of castor-oil. 



When soft-bill birds are subject to fits, the same care must be exercised in regard 

 to the diet. Use, if obtainable, only the dry prepared food, and mix with it an 

 abundance of grated fresh carrot. Every third day stale bread soaked in milk may 

 be given, and the other food withheld. 



The claws of Canaries, and many other birds, especially Bullfinches, grow very 

 long and hooking, and need to be cut. Hold the bird up to a strong light, and 

 cut the claws with a sharp pair of scissors, avoiding hitting the vein in the 

 claw . 



The bill, or beak, may grow so long, that it is almost impossible for the bird to 

 pick up his food. Usually only the upper mandible needs to be cut back, and 

 should be left of natural length, and, of course, longer than the lower. After being 

 cut with the scissors, the round edge may be scraped off with a knife ; and the end 

 of the bill should not be left blunt, but should be brought, by scraping, to such a 

 point as it naturally would have. 



For asthma in birds, a remedy used with great success is a small lump of car- 

 bonate of ammonia. Put a fresh piece in the clean drinking-water each morning. 

 In three or four days' time a cure will be effected. 



