268 



British Cage Birds. 



that of both species. It feeds on insects and their larvae, 

 worms, beetles, slugs, and ripe fruit, and shows a preference 

 for elder berries and currants. In confinement, it will eat 

 the same food as Robins and Nightingales. It shows much 

 liking for sheep's heart and hard-boiled egg, chopped fine, 

 and mixed together, and is also partial to mealworms, 

 maggots, and ants and their eggs. It partakes freely of the 

 prepared foods given to other soft-billed birds, and exhibits 

 a fondness for Compounds No. 1 and No. 2 (see pages 189 

 and 190), mixed in equal proportions. 



Bearing the Young. — The young should be taken at the 

 age of ten or eleven days at most ; if left longer, they are 

 liable to become sullen, and refuse to be fed by hand. Feed 

 them with sheep's heart and hard-boiled eggs, minced very 

 fine, and mixed with half the quantity of white bread, finely 

 crumbed, and made into a soft paste. This mixture should be 

 freshly prepared every day, or it will scour them. Do not 

 cram them, for they are very delicate birds, and, if overfed, 

 will eject their food. As soon as they can pick a little, 

 place each one in a cage by itself ; but it will be well to give 

 them a little food three or four times a day from the feed- 

 ing stick, as they cannot eat sufficient at first to sustain them- 

 selves. This may be continued for five or six days, and then 

 the Compounds should be gradually substituted. A few 

 mealworms or ants' eggs should be given occasionally for a 

 change, as these are essential to keep the birds in health, as 

 they are not too hardy, and are as difficult to rear and 

 moult as Nightingales. After their first moult there will 

 be less trouble with them, and, when they become acclima- 

 tised, they will get more robust and less liable to ailments. 

 They must be kept quite warm until they are fully fledged, 

 as they cannot endure cold. 



Distinguishing Marks of Cock and Hen. — The hen is not 

 nearly so handsome as the cock ; it is not much unlike the 

 Nightingale in its body plumage, but has the red tail of 

 its species, only not so vivid in hue as that of the male 

 bird. On the upper part of the body the female is ashen grey, 

 or greyish brown tinctured with russet red. The gullet and 

 throat are greyish white ; the breast is dull reddish brown, 

 mixed with pale grey; the belly dirty white. The wings 

 and tail of the female are paler than those of the male 



