Food for Nightingales a?id other delicate Insectivoro7is Birds. 43


I said " no," but on his telling me that it belonged to a shoe-

maker who would be glad to part with it because it sang so

loudl)', I consented to be conducted to view it. It was evidently

a young bird like the Arezzo Nightingale : that is — as the owner

indeed assured me — a bird of the previous year. I heard him

singing as I walked down the street, for the cage in which he

lived was hanging outside. ,


Like the one already purchased, this bird was extremely

tame, pecking at the fingers of his owner, and I could not resist

buying him for 30 lire.


Upon asking the shoemaker what he gave his bird to eat r

he answered as follows : Fresh heart (no meat but heart, be it

heart of bullock, chicken or any other heart) chopped extremely

small and mixed well up with flour of Indian corn. Then add

some " bachi de seta" [silk worm cocoons] finely powdered, and

mix altogether. Chop finely some radish leaves, and mix in

thoroughly. To this may be added a little grated cheese, and

some olives, which must be uusalted. They are dry olives, and

must be soaked in water, and then chopped up. This then is

what I give my Nightingales to eat, adding also some pieces of

grape, elder berries, apple and other fruits.


I feed a Blue-winged Siva, a White-capped Himalayan

Redstart and a Shama on the same. I give them the mixture

twice a day, making it all up in the morning, but putting aside

some part of it [in a refrigerator if the weather is hot] and giving

the birds their second course during the afternoon.


I suppose one could import to England dried olives

(uusalted) and also a sack of the dried cocoons which are put

aside after the silk has been wound off them, Grilli, 100 Via

Ghibellina, Florence — a bird dealer — would supply them. Un-

fortunately these cocoons have rather a strong odour.


The above recipe is undoubtedly a good one, for if not

how could Nightingales thrive as I found them thriving when I

bought them, in filthy cages, with unclean drinking water, and

living by day in a draughty street, and by night in extremely

stuffy shops ?



