110 
Seasonable Preparations. 
By the time these notes are in print it will be well 
to stimulate the birds with such live-food (not necessarily 
mealworms) as is available, and this brings us to the general 
question of what to supply— for the mixed aviary it should 
be general, viz., mi!k-sop, fruit, insectile mixture, seeds, in 
variety, and green food. Experience will soon teach the re- 
spective proportions. 
Now the all important question comes, how best to 
supply live-food. In my opinion this is better scattered broad- 
cast, over the floor, among the grass, etc., ;uiiid and over the 
bushes, etc., in the aviary. Not only does this give all a 
better chance, but also causes the birds to work (forage) for 
what they get. With the more timid species it is easy to 
secure them a suj^iply, they come round you, on the look out, 
when you enter with the live bait tin, and it is easy to supply 
their wants before you leave, if they will not take it from 
the hand they will come almost to your feet for it. Again, it 
is very important that the live food should be varied dui'ing 
the season — wasp grub, gentses, live ants' eggs, and mealworms, 
are all procurable commercially, and smooth caterpillars, small 
beetles, spiders, and any garden insects, also their larva3 and 
and pupoe may be given. An entomological sweeping-net taken 
out of a morning and Swept along the bottom"of a hadgerow 
or amid rough herbage, will secure a varied supply; the eCon- 
tents of the net simply emptied into a convenient receptacle 
and this in its turn emptied into the aviary for the birds to 
forage among at will. Comb containing wasp grul> should be 
hung about the aviary in its season and the birds will help 
themselves. 
The above is very general and homely, and in parts 
possibly controversial— well, if it should occasion correspond- 
ence it will not have served a bad purpose, for, such should 
prove of mutual gain. 
As a last word, I urge upon all my readers to keep 
an aviary log-book and to carefully note all the details from 
the egg to the mature bird, of such species as they succeed 
in breeding, and also to carefully note the general demeanour 
of the birds they keep, at all periods of the year. 
