B2 THE NIGHTINGALE. 



young they are very subject to the cramp 

 and looseness, which makes their feathers 

 mat together, and, at length, kills them. 



When you take the young birds, they 

 must be kept in their nest, which ought to be 

 put into a small wicker basket, covered over 

 to keep them warm, as they are very sus- 

 ceptible of cold. They should be fed 

 every two hours with sheep's heart, or any 

 other lean meat, chopped very fine, and 

 mixed with hard boiled eggs, taking great 

 care that there are no strings or sinews, 

 which are apt to twine round their tongues 

 or stick in their throats, and thereby occa- 

 sion them to fall off from their meat. 



In a few days they will take their meat 

 off the stick themselves, when they must 

 be put into a nightingale's back cage, 

 with a little straw or dry moss in the 

 bottom, till such time as they take the 

 perch; the moss must then be changed 

 for ants' mould, which ought to be renewed 

 every day. 



