CAGE AND SINGING I^IRBS. 
ployment of pruning' its wing-s and setting' its feathers 
straight, will divert its attention from the great g-rief of cap- 
tivity, and its appetite being- sharpened by the bath, there is 
little doubt that the bird will soon take freely of what is set 
before it, and become cheerful and animated. Those birds 
that at first creep into a corner and sulk and refuse their 
food, are most likely to do well afterwards ; those which eat 
greedily at once of the artificial food, frequently die from the 
effect of the sudden change of diet, or else the unnatural 
indifference to the loss of liberty implies that they have some 
disease which impels them to eat. 
Bechstein furnishes us with a rough kind of classification 
for dietary purposes, which, as agreeing with the general 
nature of these observations, we quote. 
In the Jirst class, he places the birds which feed only or 
chiefly on seeds ; such as canaries, goldfinches, siskins,, 
bullfinches, linnets, &c. To the first of these a mixture 
of crushed hemp and rape, with canary seed, appears to 
be the most acceptable. To the next two, crushed hemp 
and poppy seed ; and to the last two rape seed alone is 
recommended. The latter seed, our authority says, should 
be prepared by placing as much as is sufficient for one 
day's consumption, in a pipkin, covering it with water, and 
letting it stand for twenty-four hours exposed to the heat 
of the Sim, if it be summer time ; if winter, place ii on 
the hob for a while. 
Ill the second class, are placed those birds which feed 
upon seeds and insects, in which category may be placed 
larks of all kinds, chaffinches, buntings, and the whole tit 
family ; some of these also eat berries, as do several of 
those placed in the former classy the first and second of 
the birds last mentioned have a decided preference for rape 
and cabbage seed, mixed now and then with hemp ; the 
buntings the same, without green food, which the others 
should occasionally have ; to the tits give fir and hemp seed, 
hazel and other nuts, oats, barley, wheat, and occasionally a 
little fat meat. Birds of these two classes are not generally 
difficult to preserve in confinement, unless captured during 
the pairing season, in which case they frequently pine and 
die. 
In the third class are placed those kinds which feed oxk 
