Be SSP E A Oe TEA EAS T E ERNE BT Pe 
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1878.] The Robin's Food. 449 
the manner of the old bird, but to no purpose, his mandibles 
seemed to be hermetically sealed. 
Finding all attempts to coax this ec Aa l bird to eat in 
vain, I concluded to forego moral suasion, and try what virtue 
there was in physical coercion. I opened his mandibles and put 
small pieces of bread, potatoes and boiled egg so far down his throat 
that he had to swallow them. I quenched his thirst in a similar 
‘manner by pouring a few drops of water at a time into his pharynx. 
This treatment revived the patient somewhat, but did not give 
entire satisfaction; I then began feeding him on raw beefsteak 
three times a day, morning, noon and night, ‘giving him bread 
and egg in the intervals. 
The effect was magical, his eyes brightened, his chirping 
became loud and vigorous, he would hop about briskly, and con- 
tinually attempted to get out of the cage between the wires. I 
found that after eating he became very wild and would not allow — 
my hand to approach him. 
He soon learned to open his mouth to receive the food I 
offered, and henceforth gave no trouble in feeding. I next began 
to feed him with common earth worms, permitting him to eat 
nothing else for two or three days. He would eat until his crop 
could contain no more, then he would retire to his perch, draw 
down his neck as if suffering, close his eyes, drop his wings a 
little, and sit perfectly still for about fifteen or twenty minutes. 
At the end of that time he had digested the worms sufficiently to 
be ready for another meal. A strictly vermicular diet did not 
seem to agree well with him, it apparently acted as a laxa- 
tive. I then alternated between raw beefsteak and earth worms, 
and found that when he could get beefsteak he would refuse the 
worms. It being the proper season for June beetles, and as they 
were easily collected in great numbers, I tried this species as a 
food, and learned with pleasure that he preferred them to any- 
thing else. 
Forthwith I procured a wide-necked pickle bottle, and every 
night had a quantity collected for his daily rations. Henceforth, as 
long as these Coleoptera could be found in sufficient numbers, 
they were his sole food. 
When they were given him alive he would seize them with his 
bill, and by vigorous shaking and pounding upon the bottom of — 
his cage, would kill them and remove the elytra before DERT 
