94 



British Cage Birds. 



supplied with green food, for which it shows a strong pre- 

 dilection — groundsel, lettuce, chick weed, or watercress. 



Rearing the Young. — The young may be taken at the age 

 of ten or twelve days ; if left longer than this, they will, in 

 all probability, dash out of the nest simultaneously when an 

 attempt is made to touch them — as they invariably do when 

 fully feathered. If left alone, they will not attempt to leave 

 until fully fledged and able to fly clear away, as the parents 

 are most bountiful providers of food, and feed their offspring 

 to repletion. The best plan is to remove the nest with the 

 young birds ; they must be kept warm, and placed in a 

 basket, box, or cage — one with a large door, or the top to 

 open with hinges, to be easy of access. They should be fed 

 every two hours at least, from six in the morning until six 

 or seven o'clock at night. Prepare their food as follows : 

 Scald a tablespoonful of German rape seed with boiling water ; 

 let it stand ten hours ; pour off the liquid, and rinse it again, 

 first with warm, and, finally, with clear cold spring water ; 

 then rub the seed in a dry cloth, and afterwards bruise it fine 

 in a mortar, or crush it with a paste-pin or flat-iron ; add to 

 it a piece of fresh white bread that has been previously 

 soaked in warm water and pressed almost dry ; to this add 

 a little new milk, boil all together, and stir to a thick con- 

 sistency, like crowdy " or porridge. Equivalents : One part 

 of rape seed and two of bread, and milk sufficient to make 

 it as described. 



It should be made fresh every day, as the birds do not 

 care for it when stale, and, if given sour, it will scour and 

 probably kill them. Care, however, must be taken not to 

 give it too dry, or this will be attended with results almost 

 equally disastrous. When they can feed themselves, give 

 them the scalded rape alone, as it is injurious to feed young 

 birds too long on soft food, as it makes them tender and 

 weak. At the age of five or six weeks they will be able 

 to break seed, and when this is observed they may be 

 gradually supplied with the food we recommend for adult 

 birds. Between the age of a month and six weeks, a little 

 bruised hemp seed, freed from the husks, may be given 

 sparingly. Bruise it in a mortar, or pass it through a pepper 

 mill, and blow away the husks. Some fanciers use other kinds 

 of food, but there is none better than that recommended. 



