14 Birds I Have Kept. 



every season; do not use what is called the London breeding 

 cage, but one that is open at the top, and hang it up in the 

 light, out of the reach of mice, and so that the old birds 

 can see to begin feeding the first thing in the morning; for 

 which purpose they should always be supplied with fresh food 

 over night; and every other day, or at farthest every three 

 or four days, let the nest, eggs or young, taking care that 

 the latter are not gaping at the time, be well sprinkled with 

 Keating' s Insect Powder, and I will guarantee that few 

 Canaries will then be lost from the inattention of their parents, 

 in cases, even, where every previous brood had been neglected. 

 That this is the true explanation of the losses complained of 

 by so many fanciers, is, I think, unquestionable, seeing that 

 these people always can tell of their great success the first 

 year they tried to breed Canaries, and their failure ever after. 



The most elaborate receipts have been given for feeding 

 Canaries while nesting, and when they have young; but simple 

 soaked bread, with or without milk poured over it, and good 

 sweet canary seed, and a little hemp, will form a diet that 

 cannot be improved upon where it is desired to rear pale- 

 coloured birds. Should the breeder desire jonques, he must 

 give yolk of egg, the deeper coloured the better, and saffron: 

 but should he be desirous of obtaining deep- or high-tinted 

 birds, he must give bread-crumbs, e^^, and cayenne pepper, 

 the latter prepared as will be directed further on. 



In the matter of green food authorities differ widely: some 

 say, if you give it, you will have no luck, and confidently 

 assert that it is ''rank poison"; while others attribute all 

 their success to its use. The fact being that both parties to 

 the controversy are right. Green food must not be given in 

 too large quantities at first, and it must be fresh and dry, 

 not rank and overgrown, especially in regard to chickweed 

 and groundsel, which is best gathered on the roadside, or at 

 all events on poor soil: plantain makes a good change, but had 

 better be given dry than green, as when unripe, it and millet 



