280 C Ay ARIES AXD CAKE-llIJiDS. 



be used without any additional mixture ; but the dry, in order to be palatable, must 

 be mixed with grated raw carrot, or hard-boiled egg and potato. 



The common receipt for making moist Mocking-bird food is to mix in the fol- 

 lowing proportions: Eight quarts of maw-meal (which is pulverized maw-seed), 

 four quarts of Zwieback, two pounds of boiled ox-heart, and four pounds of the 

 best lard. All of the above materials should be fresh, and of the best quality. 

 The ox-heart must be boiled for several hours, and, when sufficiently hard, should 

 be pulverized in a coffee-mill. When the ingredients are ready, they should be 

 thoroughly mixed. 



The above mixture forms a plain food ; it may be made richer by the addition 

 of one pint of ground ants' eggs, or the same amount of desiccated egg ; to it may 

 also be added dried flies, grasshoppers, or any other prepared insects. The richer 

 the food, the better for the bird ; and the necessity of giving daily rations of live 

 insects is lessened. 



Dry Mocking-bird food is prepared by mixing eight quarts of maw-meal, four 

 quarts of Zwieback, two pounds of boiled ox-heart, and one quart crushed hemp- 

 seed. This food may also be made richer in the same manner as the moist food. 

 Before feeding the dry food, it must be thoroughly moistened with raw grated 

 carrot. 



Each kind of food has its class of supporters ; but, where the slight trouble of 

 grating the carrot is not heeded, I should advise the feeding of the dry food. 



These foods are usually sold by bird-dealers throughout the country. Every 

 true bird-lover trusts only to home-made manufacture ; and as the many spurious and 

 impure foods, which are sold at a cheaper rate than good foods can be manufactured, 

 result in sad losses, sometimes it is better to manufacture the food at home, or to 

 buy only the best qualities. 



The above foods are used solely for birds which have grown accustomed to them 

 through long confinement. At first this prepared food is mixed with boiled egg and 

 potato until the bird seems to thrive on the food alone. 



An excellent mixture on which to rear nestling soft-billed birds is, Equal parts 

 of scraped raw beef, soaked bread, boiled potato, hard-boiled egg, and crushed 

 hemp-seeds ; mix these together well, and form a paste. The food should be given 

 in small pellets as often as the young birds call for it. As the birds grow older, 

 gradually introduce the prepared food ; and in a short time it ma}' be fed them with- 

 out mixture. 



Food for fresh-trapped soft-billed birds : Mix equal parts of scraped raw beef, 

 grated hard-boiled egg, and bread-crumbs, and add a few scalded ants' eggs ; or 

 three or four meal-worms may be daily given. As the birds become accustomed to 

 confinement, introduce the prepared food, as advised for young birds. 



An excellent substitute for the prepared food is the German paste for soft-billed 

 birds : Three-quarters of a pound of pea-meal, a quarter of a pound of oatmeal, 

 one ounce of moist sugar, one ounce of olive-oil, two ounces of honey, half a pint 

 of well-crushed hemp-seed, and half a gill of maw-seed. The meal and sugar 

 should be well rubbed in ; then add the oil and honey, which has been first well mixed ; 

 stir the whole together, so that there be no lumps : then add the hemp and maw 

 seed. 



