102 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



The 

 Nest=Pan. 



a week, and the hens the same amount 

 once a week. The cocks will then he ready 

 to pair at the same time as Ihc lu-iis. 

 A pinch of maw-seed, too, may be added 

 to the eoo-food, especially to that oivcn to 

 the cocks, and a ])incl! ol' iiiiicr-seed to 

 the hens" seed diet on days other than 

 those on ^vhieh rape is ijiven. A pinch ot 

 niger will do the cocks no harm. 



\\'hen the birds are seen to be ready 

 the nest-])an or box should be hung at 

 the back of each single breed- 

 ing cage, or of each com- 

 partment if double or larger 

 cages with partitions arc used. Place the 

 nest between the two ])erchcs, with its 

 bottom on a Icv'cl with them, or nearly so, 

 letting the to]i of the nest be .about one inch 

 above the ])erches. with about an incli to 

 spare lictween the nest and ))erchcs. This 

 will allow the birds good standing-room 

 when engaged in feeding. But this is 

 not very material, as the birds can, and 

 will, stand on the nest-edge as often as 

 on the perch when so engaged : indeed, 

 some breeders never ]ilaee their jjcrches 

 on the cross-bar, but su])port one on the 

 u]iper cross-wire and the other below the 

 middle cross-bar, on a small transverse 

 wire between the door-frame and the side. 

 so c-ompclling the birds to fly up to the 

 nest whenever they have any business to 

 transact there. All these ])erch arrange- 

 ments, however, are entirely matters of 

 taste, fur it really signifies l)\it little 

 whether Canaries lake their everlasting 

 hop, hop, I I'cadmill-cxereise on the level 

 or with a rise and fall, 



'I'liere is. however, an advantage in 

 kei'|)ing the top of the nest just .above the 

 ])ereh. as it compels the hen to \va\v liei- 

 nest niolc steadily, and with less likelihood 

 of dragging her young out with her. than 

 if the i)ereh is arranged a little higher than 

 tlu- ncsl. In Ihc latlci- ease nian\ hens 

 jiist I'ise from their silting |)ostm'e and lly 

 direct on to the perch, and thus fre(|iicnll\ 

 drag some of I he \ on ng ones on I with I hem. 

 es|)eeially if they are but a day or two old. 

 When the to|) of the nest is just above the 

 jjcrehes the hen usually rises, and steps 



The Nest. 



on to the edge of the nest and then hoiis 

 on to the perch. 



A lirst-size nest — a No. 1 — is best : for 

 although a hen will gather her eggs imder 

 her in a large nest as well as a small one, 

 she has a forlorn look scpiatted at the 

 bottom of one that is two or three sizes 

 too large for her. and which she would fill 

 up to suit her own ideas of cond'ort if 

 material were furnished her. 



If the nest be lined with felt or swans- 

 down — which we recommend — nothing else 

 in the way of nesting materials 

 need be supjilicd at first, 

 exec])t a few sprigs of dried moss, or 

 short lengths of meadow hay, with which 

 the hen will amuse herself until, after a 

 few days, she settles down to work in 

 real earnest. Then a free su|)ply of the 

 usual building material should be given, 

 such as meadow hay cut intt) short lengths 

 of about three inches, dried moss, and 

 doe hair, placed in a small wire rack himg 

 on the cage front so that it does not come 

 in contact with the food and water. 



There is a new building material now- 

 sold called " chirpy."' which is used largely 

 among Canary lireeders in (Jermany ; this 

 is really shreds of white linen, very similar 

 to the white " cojis "' which fanciers used 

 to proem'e from the mills in the North of 

 England some thirty years ago. Th(> 

 Germans maintain that "chirpy"" is 

 superior to other nesting materials, as it 

 is softer and of a cooler nalni'e. Ihrds 

 ai'e fond of it as a building material : but 

 not more so than of the moss. hay. and 

 doe hair, and we Ihink it sim])ly a matter 

 of taste, and so long as it is clean either 

 material will do ci|uall\' wi'll. 



lla\ing fnriushed tin- lodgings thus lai'. 



a ])air of bii'ds should be |iul into each 



cage or comp;irt ment . ( )nr 



Pairing instructions on this point 



the Birds. ■■ , 



nmst neccssaruy l)e general 



in Ihcir application: what kind of cock, 

 and wh.it kind of hen. manifestly belonging 

 to later chapters. There is not the slightest 

 nceessitv for an\ previous ac(]uaintance, 

 and as foi- putting the cock in one cage 

 and the hen ni another and allowing Ihcm 



