302 P. B. Webb—Common or Bed-headed , and Tri-coloured


I see in my tables (which I hope are correct) that millet and oats

are among the least fattening of seeds. It therefore seems that

millet, or even oats, is what is wanted to balance things up. Well,

oats are on the large side for Bed-heads, though if they are not old and

dry they will eat a little. As they don’t like white millet this looks

like being a problem. We have one other thing to fall back on, though

it is rather an expensive luxury for most birds—except as a tit-bit.

A Parrot Finch is not a glutton and you will find from their point of

view, after mealworms, comes sprays of millet. This is really very

obliging of them. Is it not rather strange, however, in view of the fact

that if you offer ordinary Indian millet—-which is, I believe, the same

thing removed from the ear—they will probably eat none of it at all ?

It may be that sprays are gathered before they are ripe and the other

is not. Or, perhaps, it is the novelty of hunting for their own food

in a more natural way. I cannot say. At all events it will be found

that about three to four mealworms per bird per day, and sprays ad lib.,

give satisfactory results. It is best to soak the sprays for three or

four days and rinse well before using.


This opens up another avenue of thought. If it were possible to

procure such seeds as canary, white, and other millets in the ear, would

our birds benefit by it % I am thinking more from a psychological

effect on the bird’s mind than from the feeding value point of view,

as this seems to be all there is to it.


Now I am not in favour of handling birds much. It is obvious that

they don’t like it and there is always the danger of hurting them.

At the end of, say, the third week, however, it would be well to have

a look at their breast bones individually, to make sure that they are

not getting too fat. If so, cut out the cod-liver oil and reduce the

mealworms by half. In any case they will probably be better

without the former for a few weeks, as it can be overdone, and

sometimes a bird will eat too much of it, upsetting its inside. The

symptoms are usually that they get sluggish and lazy, meaning by that,

they become more like other birds with regard to activity. This must

on no account be allowed.


There are two other things which should be given, but in each

case sparingly—about a teaspoonful on alternate days to each pair



