500 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Directions for rearing the young. 



one after another; so essential were her cares, 

 which were equally tender and judicious." 



These birds must be taken when about ten 

 days old ; if left alone longer there is a great ha- 

 zard of losing them, as they have been known to 

 quit their nest in seven or eight days, wben they 

 have been disturbed ; if the old ones see any per- 

 son look at their young, they will then entice 

 them away of a sudden ; and in rainy weather, it 

 is surprising to see how young they will leave 

 their nest. 



The young, when taken, should be put into a 

 basket with some short clean -hay at the bottom, 

 covered and tied down close and warm, and fed 

 with white bread and milk boiled thick, mixed 

 with about a third part of rape-seed, soaked, 

 boiled and bruised : some bring them up with 

 sheep's heart minced very fine, or other flesh 

 meat. Great care is necessary to keep them 

 clean, and feed them regularly once in about 

 two hours, from morning till night, with fresh 

 and wholesome food. In a week's time they 

 should be put into a large cage, with some hay 

 cut short, or coarse bran at the bottom, turning 

 or shifting it every day. They should have 

 bread, egg, and hemp-seed, till capable of feed- 

 ing themselves with dry meat, which they will 

 do in about three weeks or a month. Let the 

 egg be boiled very hard, grated fine, and mixed 

 with an equal quantity of hemp-seed bruised, 

 while the birds are young; but when they are 



