CHAP, vi.] THEIB DIET. 319 



The time I did keep them, they fed on worms and in- 

 sects and slices of meat cut to resemble worms ; they 

 however soon died, whether from the effects of amputa- 

 tion of the pinion, or for loss of liberty, or want of 

 proper food, I cannot tell. The Peewit I have kept 

 with no difficulty along with the rest of my birds. It 

 fed on bread and milk and crushed hemp-seed mixed 

 together, as well as on meat and worms. I had also 

 one running about my garden, which maintained itself, 

 the wing being cut on one side, until it was destroyed 

 by some neighbouring cats. My common Snipe and 

 Jack Snipe were both shot as the Plover ; these I kept 

 for some days on worms and insects, and was pleased 

 at the exquisite sensibility perceptible at the end of the 

 bill, by means of which it felt for and seized the worms, 

 and devoured them whole immediately on prehension. 

 I imagine these birds died from an insufficiency of 

 worms ; they did not take kindly to their bread and 

 milk, upon which the Water Kail, which I kept for years, 

 did so well. I observed that the Peewit would run several 

 steps, and then stop and stamp, as it were, upon the 

 ground with the seeming intention of terrifying some 

 insect from its hiding-place, as, upon doing so, it eyed 

 the ground beneath it with considerable intentness. I 

 had a couple of birds brought me, which were caught 

 by my bird-catcher by the side of the river on a quantity 

 of mud that had been thrown out. These I kept for a 

 considerable time, principally on bread and milk, and 

 occasionally worms and what other insects they could 

 find. I called them the Grey Phalerope; but what 

 they really were I never could tell, not having at that 

 time any book by which I could with certainty define 

 them." 



