72


iiig food, little and often ; closely observe each bird's particular vaiiit}-, and

fall back on that at the first sign of debility, and if the signs of recover}'

are not apparent in a few hours give the poor creature its liberty while it

yet has the strength to fly and find what it requires.*


T. Marshai^i,.



Sir, — Perhaps my way of feeding will interest some readers.


Bread crumbs, mashed boiled potatoes, finely chopped cooked beef or

mutton, and grated dog-biscuit, mixed, with sometimes a little boiled carrot

or boiled bullock's liver (grated) added, and always a few whole groats thrown

on the top of the mixed food. The groats, I think, are excellent for all

birds; they give gloss to the plumage and a healthj'-looking excrement.

My Blackbird is fond of groats, also my Chinese Spectacle Thrush and

Piping Crow; but the .Shama, I think, hardly touches them. I always give

them to Canaries and all seed-eating birds that will eat them — a few with

discretion.


When insect-food is scarce my substitiite is unbaked pie-paste, made

with flour and lard, then rolled between the fingers (with a little flour) the

size of small mealworms. The birds relish a few of these now and then.

The Rock Parrot will eat a piece the size of a nut with avidit}'.


SaMUEIv Burge.



Sir, — Although I do not keep insect-eating birds, I could have

wished that some of the members who do would have given their opinion

of Sergeant Hanley's diet of hard-boiled yolk of egg and lean raw beef

pounded together. I know his letters were unchallenged at the time they

appeared. It seemed to me that to breed Nightingales in an ordinary

breeding-cage was a very successful feat. But as no one saj'S anything about

his diet, it looks as though those who have experience consider it entirel}'

unsuitable.t


As to the feeding of lyories, a bun made of egg, flour, and sugar, stale,

and soaked in hot water, then squeezed dr}' and mashed with half its

quantity of dried fig, soaked in boiling water, will keep these birds in the

best of health.


In " Parrots in Captivity " I see that Dr. Greene dwells much on the

difiiculty of keeping the Many Coloured and Paradise Parrakeets alive. I

should not care to try the diet he reconnuends, and I very strongly suspect

the difficulty of keeping these birds consists in over-feeding, and not giving

enough exercise. Blue-bonnets, Manj'-coloured, and Paradise Parrakeets

are most restless birds, and shortish commons and plenty of room would

probably be found their best medicine.


F. G. Button.



* This interesting letter was to have appeared in last month's Magazine, but it was

crowded out. Its omission made the second foot-note on page 49 incorrect.— Ed.


t I recently saw a very fine Nightingale at a Show. The food in the cage con-

sisted of yolk of hard-boiled egg and raw meat.— H. R. F.



