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I have before obferved, that raw meat cut into flices propor- 

 tionable to the fize of the neftling is a good fuccedaneum for in- 

 fers, as is the common fubftitute given to young canary birds, 

 for thofe neftlings which live on the produce of vegetables. 



When the young ones are properly fledg'd the dam mould be 

 taken with them z ; after which me will immediately feed them, 

 at leaft I have feen frequent inftances of this in robins and iky- 

 larks ; nor can I conceive that the parental o-to^ can be confined 

 merely to thefe birds only. If the dam however cannot be 

 caught, they who mean to rear the neftlings by hand mould 

 imitate her, in not cramming them too much, for me does not 

 feed her young oftner than in five minutes, and then with a very 

 fmail portion. If the neftlings alfo are hung in a cage near the fpof 

 where the neft was found, the dam will generally feed them ; but 

 fuch young birds are often deftroyed by vermin, and are icidom 

 very tame, though they may indeed be rendered fo with no great 

 trouble a . 



I once prevailed upon a bird-catcher to try whether he could 

 not rear fome young martins by the promife of a guinea, if any 

 one of them lived -till Chriftmas ; he did not catch the dam, 

 however, as I wilhed him to do ; and having fed the neftlings 



z By birdlime, properly .dlfpofqd near the nefc, or in fome fituations 

 by a net being put over her. The cock bird will alfo feed the young 

 but is not fo much to be depended upon as the hen. 



a The beft means for effecting this is, to mew the animal that it is 

 abfolutely in your power, and that you mean notwithstanding to ufe it 

 kindly. Take therefore a bird which hath been jufl caught, and carry 

 it into a dark place, letting it perch upon your finger. The bird, in 

 this lituation, does not ftir, and mould be flroaked with the other hand, 

 whilft occalionally it is permitted to perch upon another finger, placed 

 under its breaft. In nine or ten minutes introduce fome light by de- 

 grees^ and many fmall birds will inftantaneoufly feed out of your 

 hand. 



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