218 
Ml) Cage Pets and hoiv I heep them. 
in his pluiauye, as lie is Kfuerally so ronj*!! looking, but lie is just 
coming through his moult and is beginning to sing again nicely. 
I wonder if he will continue it all thi'ough August and September 
when so few birds sing. 
Then I have a Robin that I bought out of charity, he was 
in a very tiny dirty cage ; and the last of my softbills is a Blue- 
throated Warl)ler, but I do not think these i)irds are really suit- 
able for cages, at least such as I can give them. However, lie 
seems happy enough and sings nicely. All these birils are fed on 
" Cecto," Abraham's prepared food with added ants' eggs, of which 
they are very fond, and a few mealworms each day, the Blackcap 
getting fresh fruit but none of the others will towch it. I ought 
to say that I give the Cecto dry. I am never quite sure which is 
the right way, however, all my birds thrive on it. I have also a 
Linnet and Goldfinch which are so fond of their bath that they 
are generally on the edge of it almost before I have time to put it 
down. My little Grey-singing Finch and little Alario are great 
favourites, the latter sings the whole time, his cage being alone, 
as though he enjoyed it. One of the handsomest .birds I have is 
a St. Helena Seed-eater, at least I believe him to be, he is certain- 
ly not the little African Green Singing Finch, but I am not sure 
as to his indentity. My latest purchase, is a Serin Finch which 
promises to turn out well. 
The White-throatetl Spermophila is tlie last of the single 
cage birds. My small collection consists of a Blue-breasted Waxbill, 
a perfect little beauty, two Orange-breasted Waxbills, two Fire 
Finches and an Orange-cheek Waxbill. These in addition to the 
various sorts of millet seed and canary seed always get a little Cecto 
or egg flake with a little of Trower's 'Tit bits for finches' every day, 
which they enjoy picking over, the majority of these seeds being 
rather small : of course all the hard bills get green food at least 
once a week. All my cages are cleaned every day and I never 
give medicine : the only thing my birds get is a little vechey 
water occasionally, and on rare occasions a few drops of brandy 
in their water, and 1 hardly ever lose a biiul. If only a novice 
in bird keeping reads what 1 have written above, might 1 suggest 
tliat on the whole the little Serins are reall\' about the nicest birds 
to keep, they are cheap and so very easy to cater for : they practi- 
cally sing the whole year round, a great many of them even when 
moubiiig. Tliey are very active, and altt)gether sweet little 
