282 



i 



British Cage Birds. 



finement, it will eat bread and milk, and is fond of bread 

 and figs, or bread and dates. A few house flies (Musca 

 domesticci) should be gathered in the summer, when they are 

 plentiful, and kept, in glass-stoppered bottles, or paper bags, 

 in a dry place. In the winter time, a few of these should 

 be occasionally moistened in warm water sweetened with 

 sugar, and given to the birds. Small green caterpillars, meal- 

 worms, and butterflies, are favourite morsels, and should be 

 given freely during the moulting season. Whitethroats will 

 eat Compounds No. 1 and No. 2, mixed {vide pages 189 and 

 190), and should also be given, about once a week, a little 

 yolk of hard-boiled egg, and a small piece of finely-chopped 

 lean beef (raw or cooked). They should have a bath fre- 

 quently, and a plentiful supply of sand and gravel. The 

 birds can be trained to eat from the hand when reared from 

 the nest. 



Eeaeing the Young. — The young should be taken at the age 

 of ten days, and treated in all respects the same as young 

 Nightingales. Before moulting they have brown heads, and 

 the males are then minus the rose hue on the breast. 



Distinguishing Maeks of Cock and Hen. — The females may 

 be known from their breasts and bellies being entirely white ; 

 they are not possessed of the delicate white throat which is 

 such a prominent feature in the male. 



Song. — The Whitethroat sings in a lively and jocund 

 manner ; the first part of the song is pleasant, the latter 

 somewhat shrill, but very distinct. The song may, however, 

 be greatly improved if the bird be brought up under the tutor- 

 ship of a Blackcap or Nightingale. It possesses a good 

 memory, and shows considerable courage and determination 

 when challenged by a Linnet, Chaffinch, or other bird, to 

 sing ; in fact it is difficult to silence when once its com- 

 bativeness is aroused. In the aviary, it frequently makes a 

 short, circuitous tour on the wing, singing the while. When 

 it sings on the perch, its wings will be seen to be moving 

 up and down rapidly, and its body to be jerked forward, as if 

 it were about to fly away. 



Points to be Observed in Judging. — Select a well-formed 

 specimen, with a graceful carriage. The body-feathering should 

 be close and tight-fitting, and the markings clearly defined. A 

 pure white throat and belly are essential points in this variety. 



