Year: 1878

should be secured, kept scrupulously


clean, and a pair-the hen bird, il


possible, at least a year the senior of


the male-shOuld be placed in their new


home. Ii after an hours occupancy


the two birds are observed quietly sit


ting on the perch together and mani


fest other symptoms of an acceptance


of the situation, you may reasonably


conclude that they have mated. On


the contrary, should they become bel


ligerent at the outset remove them


try the experiment again, and if with


the SAME results. be assured they will


never pair. The breeding cage should


be in the quiet corner of cheerful, not


noisy apartment. Noise, such as the


report OF pistol, the violent slamming


of door or loud krocking, has been


known TO destroy the usefulness OF


eggs. One person should alone be Civ
ell the care of the birds, a. thsy become


familiar with their voice, manner and
touch and naturally attached to one
upon whom they depend for their daily


wants. Where too many visitors have


been allowed 10 investigate the breed
ing cage and nest of eggs, instances
have been frequently known where
the disturbance was so dist9steful to
the hen bird that she would immedi-
ately destroy her nest, break uU her
eggs and refuse to set. Canaries never
pair earlier than February nor later
than September, often raising as many
as three or four broods a year. The
hen is the architect of her nest, and
displays great tickleness in its con-
struction, building and demOlishing it
two or three times before being thor
oughly satisfied with its construction.
The satisfactory effort is accomplished
just prior to the laying of the first egg.
The .-ale bird is kept busy furnishing
his mate with the materials, and con-
stant supply of horse hair, finely cut
paper, and bits CT thread should be |
bountifully supplied him in the bottom
OF his cage. The number of eggs at
each setting varies from two TO six; the |
first laid the eighth day after pairing,
and the first egg hatched the thirteenth |
day after the last egg is laid. In two
weeks time the Young will feed them
selves; in month they may be re-
moved from the cage. The eggs, if not |
always Matched on the day you calcu-
late, should be left undisturbed, allow |
ing each forty-eight hours, when they |
shoIld be removed from the nest, As |
they become injurious to the old bird.
The eggs are invariably laid at the /
same hour, between Z and . o'clock in |
the morning, when the cage should |
neither be disturbed by visitors nor its
inmates annoyed by extraordinary moi
ses. \ fact strange, but nevertheless
true is, that if in a breeding cage there
are two females, and one dies the other
assumes charge of her nest. matches her
eggs, and gives TO her young the same
care she could possibly bestow upon
her own. The breedIngcage should be
kept bountifully supplied with food,
and that furnished at night, lest tar
dy breakfast or the hens voracious ap-
petite may tempt her to cannibalism,
and she devOur her own eggs. Tn
food proper for the young fledgling is
Il quarter of Il hard-boiled egg minced
fine. with a dried roll, made without
salt, soaked IN water, the latter well
pressed out. One of the seed vessels
should contain boiled rape seed, the
other replenished twice a day, their
bath vessel claiming the same scrupu-
lous care. Their food should be care
fully examined and destroyed at the
slightest detection of acidity, as this
proves fatal TO the yoang brood. After
Matching, the female is allowed to en-
joy the liberty of the cage, and commits
the unmOtherly act of giving little at
tention TO her young, the feeding and
care devolving solely on the male bird.
Her attention is only given the fledg-
lings when the proper time comes for
them to leave their nest. If from want
of energy or laziness they tarry, she
a castigation which they
do not appreciate, and, taking in the
situation they become assured that of
two evils 1t is best TO choose the least,
and leave their cradle home, and do not
hesitate as to the mode of leaving.