13S 
SYLVIAD.E. 
the artificial food, bread and milk or Germa'n paste : the bird 
at sight of the mealworms will approach the glass, as all 
small birds are fond of those insects, and attempt to peck 
at them; in so doing it will inadvertently taste the artificial 
food, and by degrees acquire a relish for it. But if a fresh- 
caught bird is stubborn and refuses to eat it, as the most 
intelligent kinds frequently do when taken full-grown, the 
only plan to be pursued is to feed or cram it, as it is termed; 
this must be done at least once every hour, and if it be an 
insect-eating bird, raw meat and chopped egg are the best 
things that can be administered: at the same time the captive 
must be kept in a darkened cage. This course should be 
pursued for at least two days, after which the above-men¬ 
tioned plan may be practised with success. Insect-eating 
birds should be occasionally indulged with a mealworm or 
tw'o, as they are thought to keep them in health; but, as a 
constant article of food, these are not sufficiently nourishing 
for captive birds. 
The Willow Wren is restless and lively, and its flight from 
tree to tree is wavering and irregular. Its call-note is liewid 1 
and during the spring it utters a delicate chirp, which seems 
to be a note of endearment to its mate. It arrives in this 
country about the beginning of April and returns in Septem¬ 
ber; it seldom however sings after July. This species is 
met with all over Europe ; from Sweden, Finland, and Rus¬ 
sia, to the most southern parts. It is also common in North 
America. 
The food of the Willow Wren is entirely insects, such as 
flies, gnats, aphides, small spiders, &c. When the weather is 
cold and wet in the early spring, it may be seen on the ground 
in search of insects, and in autumn occasionally eats elder¬ 
berries ; but neither these birds nor their two predecessors in 
this work, enter gardens for the sake of their fruit. If they 
ever approach near to human dwellings, which they do in re¬ 
tired spots, it is to pick off insects from the fruit-trees. 
