133


FOOD FOR SOFT-BILLED BIRDS.


Sir,— It may be true that none of the English Warblers live

absolutely entirely on insects, but I believe that many of them, such as

the Nightingale, Redstart, Wheatear, Whinchat, vStonechat, and ChifFchafF,

eat very little else. On the other hand, it is certain that the Blackcap,

Greater and Lesser Whitethroat, and Garden Warbler, are largely fruit-eaters.

Mr. Meade- Waldo's instructive article on " The Food of the Blackcap,"

which appeared in the Magazine last year, proved that that species will live

for years on fruit alone, and my own observations confirm this. But because

a Blackcap will live on fruit it does not follow that a Nightingale would.

The birds require quite different treatment.


Dr. Butler appears to argue that because a Nightingale, in its wild

state, will eat a few berries {a) in the autumn for the sake of a change or

because it can get nothing better, therefore it ought to have, in captivitv,

as its regular food, a mixture which consists largely of bread. It would be

just as reasonable to contend that because a man can eat, without ill

effects, a little pastry occasionally, he might, with impunity, eat pastry for

breakfast, pastry for lunch, pastr}' for dinner, every day all the 3'ear round.

If a man were to try this, the result would almost certainly be a bad attack

of indigestion, especially if he took little exercise, and a similar result

follows when a caged Nightingale is fed largely on bread. Moreover,

there is a good deal of difference between bread and berries.


No doubt quite unintentionall}', Dr. Butler somewhat misrepresents

what I said: I certainly never admitted that biscuit is "almost (if not

altogether) a suitable food for the more delicate insectivorous birds."

Biscuit is no doubt better than bread, but really that is not saying much

for it.


I cannot understand Dr. Butler's statement that Dr. Bradburn "was a

strong advocate for the use of chopped beef for soft-billed birds." I believe

that the reverse of this would be much nearer the truth, and can only

conclude that Dr. Butler has never read " British Birds : their successful

management in captivity." Nevertheless, there is a good deal more to be

said for the occasional use of meat for soft-billed birds than Dr. Butler will

admit.


I thought that Mr. Abrahams dealt almost entirely in foreign birds,

and that there were a good many "living authorities" with more experience

of British Warblers than he has.


Septimus Perkins.



Sir, — Mr. Perkins writes as though mj^ sole object in recommendiii"'

bread for soft-billed birds was to prove him in the wrong : consequently he

gives one the impression that he is hurt. I can assure him that my sole

object is to arrive at the truth, and this (as I said before) can be best attained

by practical experience.


(a) These frequent references to tlie Nightingale eating berries surprise ine. I have

not myself ever observed either the wild or the captive Nightingale devour any vegetable

matter &s/ooii. The captive bird occasionally takes a little vegetable matter for medicinal

purposes, just as the cat and the dog eat grass— but I have not ever known one touch a

berry.— R. P.


(a) I must admit that I never heard of the Nightingale eating berries until Mr,

Perkins made the statement ; but I suppose he has proof of its being a fact. — A. G. B.



