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Show MOCKINGBIRDS. In their natural state the food for these nightingales of the South consist of insects, worms, seeds, buds, green herbage, such as clover, lettuce, endive, chickweed, berries, etc., and when caged should be fed, so far as is convenient, with the yolks of hard boiled eggs, crumbled fine, hemp or canary seed, meal worms, bits of ripe fruit, white lump sugar and occasionally a little German paste, recipe for making which is below. The greatest cleanliness must be observed. Their cages should be cleaned early in the morning daily. A piece of unlinked paper placed on the floor of the cage removed daily facilitates this process. If vermin infest them a small bit of sulphur may be placed under the paper. Mockingbirds delight in a bath, as do canaries, daily. If the bath becomes soiled before need, remove and replace with clean water. They will not enter it if there is anything in it. If you wish to teach them, sing or whistle bars of music often in their hearing. You will be delighted by hearing them mock you very soon. They are fond of company, and in addition to the notes of all birds placed near them, will imitate many sounds, such as the "meow" of the cat, the barking of dogs, etc., etc. Mocking birds should have large cages, with light board backs, kept scrupulously clean; cover the bottom of tray with paper, then on it sprinkle sand, fine gravel and bones that have been burnt and powdered. Hang a small bag of sulphur on top of the cage, and red paper, in pods should be tied to the sides. Give meat of some sort every day; beefsteak half an inch long, the size of the finger, cut crosswise with scissors in small bits; grasshoppers, angle worms and white garden grubs; also apples, berries and lettuce leaves are good for them. Take an Irish potato, boil or bake it, mash fine with a hardboiled egg and a little mite of red pepper. Use a large bath dish in the morning, and remove after the bird has bathed. Avoid hanging in draughts. If sick, give a brown spider; sometimes a warm bath will relieve it. When bunches come on the head rub on camphor carefully, lest it get in the eyes. Keep the perches very clean. - Household. |