A. Sherriff—Softbills



83



seed or for a juicy bit of lettuce. A Softbill will, in due course,

appreciate tbe offer of a mealworm, a spider, or possibly a piece

of meat.


The article referred to above appeared to suggest that Softbills

were as easy to keep as Seedeaters. I have not found it so. For the

latter the best seed is always obtainable and nothing but the best should

be used. Seeding grass when in season, millet sprays, and some green

food will probably suffice to keep the majority in reasonable health.

For Softbills the food must be more varied and, in the winter parti¬

cularly, it becomes increasingly difficult to find suitable live food. The

insect food has to be prepared with care, and consists of many component

parts. I have never actually tried Sunbird mixture, no doubt it corre¬

sponds closely to the insect food used at the Zoo. This is the mixture

which I use—it is very excellent. Mealworms are to some extent

useful, but in the summer are inclined to be too fattening and heating.

Considering that mealworms are fed mainly on biscuit meal the amount

of nourishment in them cannot be very large ; and often in the summer

if required for feeding young birds (if any) they become increasingly

scarce and expensive. Gentles are at times useful, but are themselves

difficult to keep for any length of time.


Again, nearly all Softbills require fruit. Currants soaked in hot

water, oranges, ripe pears, and grapes, but I have found that only

white grapes are really enjoyed. Banana too is eaten, but this fruit

is possibly rather too fattening and certainly makes the perches, etc.,

very dirty.


In winter or during any sudden spell of cold weather, unsweetened

condensed milk to which is added plenty of honey and mixed with a

little warm water is a real delicacy. Even the larger birds such as

Sibias, Fairy Blue Birds and others thoroughly relish it. The smaller

Softbills are kept supplied with it from the end of October to the end

of March.


Also some of the larger birds appreciate raw meat cut up into tiny

pieces with scissors and mixed with insect food. Shamas, Drongos, and

even King Birds of Paradise were in the habit of picking the meat out

before eating anything else. Possibly to some extent it replaces the

live insect food which normally they would obtain.



