156 



stomach it must be rendered soft, if not entirely dissolved, thereby becoming unfit for 

 the purpose of grinding the food, which is the use of the small stones in the gravel ; it 

 may possibly, from its heat, assist in promoting maceration and digestion. Some Fan- 

 ciers assert it wfll harden the egg-shell, when a hen is near laying ; to this I cannot 

 readily subscribe, conceiving mortar, from its hot nature, would rather corrode than in- 

 durate the shell. I do not, however, perceive any ill effects arise from their eating it ; 

 on that account, perhaps, it may be fair to conclude it is of some service to them. There 

 is no doubt their fondness for mortar arises from the quantity of saltpetre, or saline 

 particles, which it contains, their immoderate partiality for salt being universally known 

 and admitted, I should think, although they are so fond of it, it is not necessary to 

 their existence. The mortar should not be new, but got on purpose from the rubbish 

 of some old house or wall that is pulUng down, which has lost the greater part of its 

 original heat, which is therefore preferable to fresh made mortar. 



or THEIE FOOD. 



471. I shall now call the young Fanciers' attention to a matter which is most mate- 

 rial of all to the health of his birds, upon which the speedy and vigorous increase of 

 theh' young greatly depends — I mean their food. 



472. If the throats of the young birds were not so small, I have no hesitation in 

 saying, beans of the best quality, small as they could be obtained, would be the best 

 food that could possibly be given them. Were it not for the difl&culty old birds have 

 in feeding their young upon beans, I would never give them anything else. This 

 might be objected to by some, from a supposition that beans alone would not so readily 

 furnish a suflS.ciency of soft meat, from their solidity. I think this reason would not 

 bear them out, as it is notorious the birds of the common Fanciers are fed upon no- 

 thing else. They are always furnished with as much soft meat as those that are other- 

 wise fed, In the breeding season, the Almond Tumbler should be supplied also with 

 good sound old tares ; to the hoppers containg these, as well as the beans, they shoiild 

 have free access, that they may satisfy themselves as often as occasion requires, which 

 is almost incessant whilst they are feeding their young, being very voracious feeders, 

 which may be accounted for from their great heat of constitution, the food being quickly 

 digested, converted into excrement, and continually passing through them. Care 

 should be taken not to purchase such beans and peas as have been at sea and damaged 

 with salt water, as they will infallibly scour or pm-ge the birds, and probably kill some 

 of them. In order to ascertain this, the Fancier ought always to put some of them 

 into his mouth and chew them, by which means he will readily discover it. 



473. In order, in some measure, to prove my argument as to beans being the best 

 food, and preferable to any other, I shall state the observations I have made upon the 

 excrement of the birds as soon as voided. 



474. I have noticed the excrement of birds that have been fed upon ordinary beans 

 and found it was tolerably hard and good ; that it was not attended with much mucus 

 or slime ; from which 1 infer the food was not sufl&ciently nutritious te afford the 

 proper quantum of mucus necessary for the easy discharge of the fceces ; the foeces 

 of birds fed upon prime hard old beans, have been very different ; according to my 

 idea have worn a much more healthy appearance than the former ; the foeces of 

 birds so fed have been voided in a soHd lump, surrounded with a plentiful quan- 

 tum of fine oily, or slimy mucus, from whence I think the operation of digestion is 

 better performed by the best food ; consequently, the birds must be more healthy. 



475. Tares, if of ever so good quality, are very improper to feed birds upon alone. 

 They are very laxative ; never produce a solid excrement, which, in a measure, tends 

 to prove my argument as to the superiority of the first-mentioned food. Whoever 

 has made observation upon the ordure of birds fed upon tares alone, will, I trust, 

 allow it IS never soHd ; generally of a pasty consistence, and sometimes very thin ; 

 I think it thence foUows, that birds in this constant state of laxation, can never be 

 so hearty and vigourous as those fed upon good old beans, which produce a solid ex- 

 crement. 



476. From what I have above advanced, it will be supposed I prefer beans alone for 



