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A fete of my birds in cages.



and Wagtails. The latter used to keep up a continual tapping for

hours at night, until I discovered who the culprits were and caged

them. Now quiet reigns.


The following is a list of birds I at present keep, some in

cages, others flying loose :—Great Reed Warbler; Lesser Reed

Warbler ; Marsh Warbler; Sedge Warbler ; Red-creasted Fly¬

catcher : Blue-throated Warbler ; Wood Warbler ; White-throated

Singing Finch ; Russian Bullfinch ; Pied Wagtails (6) ; Belgian

Canaries ; White Javas ; Orange Bishops (6) ; Zebra Waxbills ;

Diamond Sparrows.


In one large aviary cage I have the following Small African

Waxbills, etc. :—Cordon Blues ; Orange Breasts ; Orange Cheeks ;

African Waxbills; Grey Singing Finches ; African Fire Finch ;

Ruficaudas ; Bronze Wing Mannikins ; Avadavats.


The food I give all the soft bills is Galloway’s “ Life,” for

smaller ones “ Perfecto,” for Thrush and larger birds I mix it with

chopped lettuce and York cheese, gentles and mealworms, according

to their individual requirements, some of the Warblers are most

fearfully greedy and will eat till they die, so some days I give dry

sponge cake and ants’ eggs. There is much less eaten on those

days ! Seeds as follows : Paddy rice, three sorts of millet, spray

millet, canary, inga, sunflower and hemp; shell gravel in a saucer.

This finishes the foods.


I have also a lovely Blue Rock Thrush, a hand-reared Wry¬

neck, Gold Crest Wren and Jenny Wren. The latter I also hand-

reared. Also a lovely specimen of the Hunting Cissa, about which I

wrote last month. All the birds have become very tame, from being

constantly handled, and changed from cages to bird-room. Those in

cages fly every day for a short time in my room. They perch on my

head, and also help themselves to the food as I am preparing it.

I find all the small Waxbills like the soft food, and what is left over

in the various glasses from the soft bills I throw on the tray in their

cage. They find great amusement in picking it all over. The grass

seed too is a great delight when the seed is all picked out, the long

ends are taken up and made into nests; all the eight nest boxes are full

of grass. They will also eat small gentles and of course mealworms.

Personally I believe all foreign hardbills will eat live food if given.



