24 CLASS AVES. 



a silk bag ; after which the nest is removed* without touching 

 the young, all the branches upon which it is placed being 

 removed with it. If it is on a shrub, that should be taken 

 away altogether ; the whole is transported to the destined 

 spot, and placed in a situation the most similar to that in 

 which the nest was found ; then the male is put into one 

 cage, and the female into another. These cages must be 

 covered Avith green serge, tolerably thick, with a door in 

 front, arranged so that it can be opened from a distance by a 

 packthread attached to it. The nest being fixed, the cages 

 are placed one on each side, at a distance of from twenty-five 

 to thirty paces, so that the young ones shall be nearly in the 

 same line, and between both. The doors should face them. 

 All being thus prepared, the young should be suffered to cry 

 for a certain time until their note of appeal is completely 

 heard, both by father and mother; then the cage of the 

 female should be opened, the person who does so, not show- 

 ing himself ; when she has flown forth, the cage of the male 

 should be opened ; the movements of nature will carry them 

 directly to the place where they have heard their little ones 

 cry; they will administer food to them, and continue the 

 same cares until they are brought up. The young family 

 will, it is positively asserted, return thither the following year, 

 and people the adjoining groves ; for they are in the habit of 

 returning every year into the places in which they have been 

 reared, if they find abundant nutriment and proper accom- 

 modations for nestling. If this be not the case, all the labour 

 we have described will be thrown away. 



It is necessary to say a few words, in conclusion, on the 

 food proper for the nightingale in a state of captivity. 



This bird, being naturally voracious, will accommodate 

 itself to aliment of every description, provided it be intermixed 

 with meat. Some people feed their nightingales Avith equal 

 parts of bruised hemp-seed, crumbs of bread, parsley and 

 boiled beef, all hashed small and mixed together ; others use 



