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VI—INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS.


There is no point of aviculture upon which so much

difference of opinion and of practice exists as upon the question

of what is the best insectivorous food. All are agreed that ants’

eggs should form one of the chief ingredients, but that is the

only point upon which agreement exists. Without disparaging

other mixtures, I will give the formula for a food which I have

used for some time with great success. It is as follows :—Equal

parts, by bulk, of best ants’ eggs, dried flies, Spratts’ fine Crissel,

and Spratt’s fine Game Meal, rubbed up with lard, with some of

Abrahams’ Yolk of Egg added. For the more delicate birds it is

better to double the proportion of ants’ eggs and reduce the

proportion of meal. I keep the food ready mixed in a tin,

and about twice a week rub up a basinful with lard, afterwards

adding the egg. It will keep good for a week or two after the

lard has been added, and the birds can be made to eat up the

last particle of it, so that there is no waste. I have no claim to

be the inventor of this recipe, which was given to me by a well

known member of the Council of our Society.


One of the chief merits of this food is that it does not

fatten—the birds keep in good condition upon it, but seldom lay

on an unnatural amount of fat. Some aviculturists fancy that if

their birds are fat they must be doing well—there cannot be a

greater mistake. Dripping may be used instead of lard, but I

find lard more convenient. Some people use grated carrot, or

mashed potatoes, instead of lard or dripping, but I do not

recommend either, for they will render the mixture liable to turn

sour, and make it necessary to mix it fresh every day and waste

what is left from the previous day. The same applies to the

use of fresh egg. There should be enough lard to make the

mixture thoroughly greasy, for if too dry some birds will refuse

it—on the other hand the lard must be well rubbed in, so that

there are no lumps, and there must not be so much grease as to

cause the food to cake. Some birds will not take very kindly to

the food at first, but all soon get to like it.


They require, of course, live insedt food as well, and this

generally has to consist of mealworms because nothing else is

purchasable. However, if blackbeetles or earwigs can be got,

they should be preferred to mealworms. It is difficult to decide

how many mealworms a bird should have, and I cannot venture

to lay down a rule. It is certain that too many are almost as bad

as too few. They should be given more freely during moulting

than at other times. I think it will be found that if the insec-



