156 



KTDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



distinct families, in the autumn, of course 

 there will require some alteration of diet ; 

 but of this we shall speak in its place. 



Having so large a family to provide for, 

 and so many tastes to consult, it is sufficiently 

 obvious that there must be an ample supply 

 of provisions that may suit the whole. Na- 

 ture will teach each bird to partake of that 

 only which is easiest of digestion, and best 

 adapted to its constitution. You need be 

 under no apprehension on this head. As for 

 physic, which some bird-fanciers prate so 

 much about, we say " throw it to the dogs." 

 Even they, however, will refuse to swallow 

 it. 



Medicine need very seldom be resorted to. 

 There are extreme cases where a little saffron 

 may be serviceable ; but it never cost us 

 more than one penny for saffron in our life ; 

 and that was, one half of it, not used. Alter- 

 native food with the feathered race, as with 

 us, is far more efficient than physic. The 

 one acts gently, and naturally ; the other 

 deranges the system for several days ; and if 

 often repeated, injures the entire system. 



We have already mentioned the "hoppers," 

 or seed-boxes. These should be half rilled with 

 a mixture of the best Canary, Flax, and Rape 

 seeds. Of these, the proportions should be 

 — Canary, one half ; the other half consisting 

 of Flax and Rape. A small quantity of the 

 latter will suffice, it being eaten principally 

 and sparingly by the linnets. Flax is good 

 for all the seed birds, keeping their stomachs 

 in a healthy state. The " hoppers," as we 

 have before noted, should be carefully ex- 

 amined, at least once a fortnight ; and the seed 

 remaining in them should be sifted, to cleanse 

 it from dust and refuse matter, before re- 

 filling. 



For the soft-billed or insectivorous birds, 

 the general or " universal " food must be made 

 as follows : — Clifford's German paste, one 

 pound; the yolks of six eggs, boiled hard; half 

 a pint of Hemp seed, well bruised ; six plain 

 stale buns ; two table-spoonfuls of best moist 

 sugar. These ingredients, after being placed 

 in an earthen pan (glazed), should be well 

 incorporated with the naked hand, till they 

 amalgamate. Throw in a small quantity of 

 Maw seed before putting it into the birds' 

 pans, and place the latter on the floor of the 

 room. Above all, bear in active remembrance 

 that the food must be fresh every day. 



In addition to the above, one or two of the 

 pans should contain grated bullocks' liver 

 (from the part called " the nut,") boiled hard, 

 and some grated Cheshire cheese; both rubbed 

 fine, and mixed with stale sweet buns, of which 

 all birds are excessively fond. The buns 

 should be purchased of a first-rate confec- 

 tioner, otherwise they stand every chance of 

 being manufactured from " kitchen-stuff." 

 Many a school-boy's stomach ('* digestive " 



though it naturally be), will give satisfactory 

 evidence of the truth of this remark. 



All your birds, from a canary upwards, 

 will freely share in this soft food ; and they 

 will thrive nobly on it. By leaving it to 

 their own option what to select, you will 

 find they seldom, if ever, will have any ail- 

 ments. 



The room must be kept well supplied with 

 ripe Chickweed and Groundsell ; Lettuces (in 

 season), Cherries ; Strawberries ; ripe, mel- 

 low, juicy Pears ; and now and then a boiled 

 mealy Potato, bruised. The " warblers " 

 eat greedily of the two last ; also of soft, 

 boiled, tender Cabbage. Nightingales and 

 blackcaps are dearly fond ot the latter; also 

 of Elderberries when ripe ; and they greatly 

 luxuriate in a little raw, scraped, tender beef 

 — free from fibre. The beef, when scraped, 

 should be moistened with water, but not 

 made too " pappy ;" and it must always be 

 sweet. If tainted in the slightest degree, do 

 not attempt to introduce ic. 



In the way of live food, throw in occasion- 

 ally ants' eggs, small red worms, spiders, 

 earwigs, mealworms, liver-gentles, et id genus 

 omne. The windows being kept constantly 

 open, hundreds of flies, gnats, and other mi- 

 nute ephemera, will find their way in ; and no 

 small amusement is it to watch the gyrations 

 of the birds, as they topple over to catch 

 their prey. The wag-tails, white-throats, and 

 tit -larks, in particular, are most elegant in 

 their motions while thus occupied. 



There have been many opinions on the 

 subject of giving your birds Hemp seed. It 

 certainly does tend, homceopathically, to 

 shorten the duration of their lives ; but still — 

 strange though true, they cannot live without 

 it ! It warms their stomach, and possesses 

 an oleaginous peculiarity of flavor, which, 

 mixing with the other food, forms a good 

 general diet. It must be given sparingly. 

 Many people feed goldfinches in cages with 

 Hemp seed ; this is quite a mistake. Canary 

 and Flax is all they should be allowed. They 

 thrive well on it, and escape getting over fat 

 — the ruin of half the race. Their plumage, 

 too, is always in beautiful order. 



To prevent the necessity for " medicine," 

 — properly so called, let some crumbs of 

 bread be scalded with boiling milk ; into this 

 put some grocers' currants, after previously 

 soaking them some hours in cold water. All 

 soft-billed birds, nightingales, blackcaps, 

 garden-warblers, and white-throats in parti- 

 cular, eat voraciously of this dish ; and as 

 boiled milk acts medicinally on all birds, its 

 curative properties will speedily become 

 apparent. 



If these instructions be fully carried out, 

 and plenty of old mortar, well bruised, be 

 kept constantly on the floor, no sanitary 

 commission need ever be appointed. It is 



