be covered up warm, kept very clean, and fed regularly every two hours from morning till night. The beſt food for them in this premature ſtate, is raw fleſh, which ſhould be minced very fine, and mixed with a ſmall quantity of hard boiled egg. As ſoon as they are capable of feeding themſelves, put each into a ſingle cage, at the bottom of which ſhould be ſome ſoft kind of fluff, ſuch as wool, hay, or dry moſs. When they are full grown they ſhould have ants mould, and ſometimes a few meal worms or caterpillars may be given them. Particular care ſhould be taken that they are kept clean, for otherwiſe they will have the cramp, and perhaps their claws will drop off: the perches in the cage ſhould be covered with green baize, or ſome ſuch thing. In moulting time they will ſometimes neglect their food for a week or a fortnight, which is a diſorder peculiar to theſe birds: a few ſpiders given them two or three times a week, or a little ſaffron mixed with their water, is ſaid to be effectual in removing this malady. Figs chopped ſmall among their meat will produce the ſame effect, and make them recover their fleſh. Give them freſh meat every day in the ſummer, for it will greatly injure them if it be either ſtale or ſour.
When young, there are no infallible marks to diſtinguiſh the cocks from the hens; but in old birds I have obſerved the colours of the male are more vivid and bright than thoſe of the female; however, by their ſinging a diſtinction may be made with facility.—In a ſtate of confinement, the nightingale will ſing ſeven or eight months in the year, viz. from the beginning of November till Midſummer enſuing.—They are very tender birds, and it requires infinite pains to preſerve them in captivity.
Old nightingales taken in the ſpring ſometimes prove very valuable. Theſe may eaſily be caught with lime twigs, or with trap-cages baited with mealworms. The birds taken before the latter end of April are always to be preferred, becauſe soon after the cocks pair with the hens. The haunts of the male ſhould be firſt diſcovered, and the trap-cage ſhould be placed as near the ſpot where the bird ſings as poſſible. Before you fix the ſnare turn up the earth a little, which will tempt them to look there for food, and lime-twigs may alſo be placed in the hedge at the ſame time, with a few meal-worms ſtuck at proper places to draw them into the ſnare.
As ſoon as you have taken them, their wings ſhould be gently tied, to prevent their fluttering and beating themſelves againſt the cage, which ſhould be placed againſt a window, and covered over, that the ſight of any object may not diſturb or intimidate them.——At firſt he ſhould be fed with ſheep's-heart and egg mixed very fine, and it is neceſſary to give him, at intervals, other food, which when wild they feed on, ſuch as ſmall worms, caterpillars, and other inſects. If the bird is ſullen, and will not eat, take him in your hand, and force open his bill, giving him the inſects, or four or five bits of food as big as peas, to entice him to eat. His common food should always be minced with ants, that when he picks up the ants, he may pick up ſome of that with them. When you perceive him take to his meat voluntarily, give him leſs ants in it, and finally nothing but ſheep's-heart and egg; for unleſs you accuſtom him to this diet, he will die inevitably at the approach of winter, when inſects can no longer be found.
In the autumnal ſeaſon, nightingales will ſometimes grow ſo enormouſly fat, as to endanger their lives. Therefore when they get fleſh too faſt, they ſhould be frequently purged, and two or three ſpeckled ſpiders ſhould be given them every day. When their legs are gouty, they ſhould be anointed with lard, freſh butter, or capon's greaſe, three or four days together. If they grow melancholy, put a little liquorice or ſugar-candy in their water. Sometimes they are ſubject to apoſtems and breakings out about the eyes and bill; for theſe complaints you ſhould alſo make uſe of butter or capon's fat. Be
