TREATMENT OF CANARY BIRDS. 151 



The number is generally five, sometimes six, or 

 four, and some young hens will set upon three. 

 Some females will not set until they have done 

 laying ; others will commence setting on laying 

 the first egg, and it has been said by some, that, in 

 this case, the egg should be taken out, and a false 

 one put in its place, until the complement is laid, 

 and then the whole put back into the nest again. 

 This is taking a great deal of trouble, without 

 any necessity for it, and the risk of breaking the 

 eggs into the bargain ; for if the young are 

 hatched, one every morning, the one is nourished 

 and fed before the next comes, and so on ; and in 

 the other case, where all are hatched together, 

 the male assists in nourishing and feeding them, 

 and all is well. There is very often one bad egg 

 in the nest ; when the youngest is two days old, 

 take the box, or basket, which contains the nest,* 1 

 in your left hand, introduce the little finger of 

 the right gently under the young, and get out the 

 bad egg. as it takes up room in the nest, and if it 

 should get broke is very unpleasant. When I 

 had six young at a hatching, which I have some- 

 times had, 1 prepared a large nest, and when 



* Both boxes and baskets should be so fixed, that they can be 

 taken down for this purpose ; and occasionally to see how the young 

 thrive. 



