WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 
In May 1869 I obtained my first living water ouzel. 
Since that time I have had a great many of these birds. 
Some of them I reared from the nest, and I fed them upon 
boiled mealworms, the larvse of the caddis fly and other 
insect food ; but, as soon as they were able to feed them- 
selves and took to the water, they caught and fed upon 
very small fish, especially young minnows. I found them 
rather expensive pets, having to provide for a family of 
four, as they caught and devoured several dozen daily, and 
seemed to prefer live fish to all other food. I am not 
pleased to confess this, and I hope it may not cause the 
birds to be unmercifully killed, as I feel sure that these 
birds are useful, feeding, as they do, upon insects as soon 
as the young fish are too large for their tiny throats. 
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