4 6



Practical Bird-Keeping.



of the Apatueas and the velvety green catterpillar of the small

White butterfly ( Ganoris raped) being always in evidence.


Caterpillars of the Dot-moth (Mamestra persicariee) common

on the fronds of the well known male and female ferns are always

greatly relished ; they vary in ground-tint from lavender greyish,

through chocolate and clay-colour to green, but may always be

recognized by the dark crescentic markings on the anterior

segments.


Wood-boring caterpillars are not generally liked, although

the larger Thrush-like birds aud probably the Crows will eat

them ; they, however, render the cage offensive for some time

afterwards : they should prove excellent food for Black Cockatoos,

since the latter eat them in Australia with relish. The perfect

insect of the Wood-leopard moth ( Zenzera eesculi) is more often

than not refused by birds, I think because of its rather startling

coloration reminding one a little of a Pierrot; but all the small

brown night-motlis as well as the more or less metallic Plusicz

including the Burnished-brass moth are accepted at once.


The languid white caterpillars of some of the Ghost-moths

(. Hepialidee ), which I have found in quantities feeding on the

roots when removing Peonies from one part of my garden to

another, are very much relished by all insectivorous birds.


The leaf-rolling larvae of Pearl-moths ( Pyralides ) are always

eaten, as are those of the more typical Micro-Tepidoptera the

Tortrices and Tineina , including even those of the common

clothes-moths.


Most two-winged flies ( Diptera ) are devoured in all their

stages and it is well known that maggots of the common blue¬

bottle fly are well worth breeding in meat and, after sconring

by keeping for a day or so in sand, form excellent food for

rearing young birds. It might be supposed that Sun-flies, Rat¬

tailed flies and Bee-flies from their more or less near resemblance

to wasps, honey-bees, and humble-bees, w'ould be refused, but in

the case of the two first at any rate this is not the case, though it

is a sin to destroy the first (the larvae of which destroy plant-

lice) while the last, which fly like Humming-birds, are not easily

-captured : but Rat-tailed flies (. Eristalis tenax ) are easily picked



