Pastes

for birds: the common food provided for them in aviaries, which may be thus prepared. Grind half a peck of the finest horse beans, well dried, very fine, and boult them through a fine boulter, such as is used for wheat meal; or if your stock of birds do not require so great quantity, use in the following proportion. Take of the above meal, two pounds; of the best sweet almonds, blanched, one pound; beat these very well in a mortar, and adda quarter of a pound of fresh butter: put them into a copper saucepan, well tinned, mix all well together, and set the pan over a charcoal fire, that the paste may not smell of smoak, and keep continually stirring it all the while it stands upon the fire with a wooden-spoon, that so it may boil gradually, and not burn; then take four yolks of eggs, and a little saffron, and when the butter is melted, having some yirgins-honey ready, drop in some by degrees, continually stirring it, that all the ingredients may incorporate. This being done, take a fine cullender, and strain the compound through, which should be thin, and not in lumps; the remainder of the paste may be beaten in a mortar again, and if it will not pa through the holes, set it upon the fire again, and let it boil gently, and then try it through the cullender, till 1t comes to such a quantity and quality as is fit for the number of birds you keep. Repeat this as often as you have oecasion. This paste may be mixed with any birdmeat whatever, is a strengthening diet, and will continue good for six months if you pour a little melted clarified honey upon it. Pastes for fishing are variously compounded, almost according to the angler’s own fancy; but there should always be a little cotton wool, shaved lint, or fine flax, to keep the parts of it together, that it may not fall off the hook. White bread and honey will make a proper paste for carp or tench. _ Fine white bread alone, with a little water, will serve for roach and dace; and mutton suet and soft new cheese for barbels. Strong cheese with alittle butter, and coloured yellow with saffron, will make a good winter paste for a chub. - But among all the variety of pastes, there is none so often used as the simple and plain one made with white bread and milk, which requires only clean hands, ° - The following observations concerning pastes may be of use to a young angler, being all founded on experience: In September, and all the winter months, when you angle for chub, carp, and bream, with paste, let the bait be as big as a large hazle nut: but for roach and dace, the bigne of an ordinary bean is sufficient. You may add to any paste, a a-foetida, oil of ivy, oil of petre, gum ivy, and many other things, which sometimes wonderfully increase your sport. 130