1,34 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



demand ; il' the hen feeds badly, run in 

 the wire slide, and repeat the arrange- 

 ments already deseribed. 

 Arrangement -,-,,^, ^.^^j. ^^.-{^ ,,,, equally 

 for a Double 

 Brood. ready lor any other emer- 



geney, and ean be run 

 in, fii'st to one and tlieii to the othci'. to 

 assist in feeding, and will eyentually 

 take charge of one or both nests in the 

 eentre compartment, from which they 

 will in due time be traiislVrrcd to a 

 larger flight, and the business begun 

 de novo. With the jiartitions removed 

 one of these three-eomjiartment cages 

 makes an excellent flight, as shown in 

 our next illustration. 



This method of working may have sug- 

 gested itself if the reader has carefully read 

 our previous instructions ; but we give 

 it in detail, because it is a useful ])lan 

 when there is but one cock of any jiartieular 

 variety, and it is desired to make the 

 most of him. and most cocks will readily 

 fall in with such duties. Of course, there 

 are occasionally birds that will do more 

 mischief than good by maltreating the 

 young. When any show such a spiteful 

 disposition thej' must be debarred access 

 to the young birds. 



We have mentioned the mating of one 

 cock to two hens oidy, but he may be 

 paired with thi'ce or even more under 

 similar methods ; but it is advisable not 

 to over-work a hird, and whcne\er a cock 

 is called u])on to lun with moi'c than two 

 liens, lie should not t:ike .-iiiy p;irt in rearing 

 the young. 



From the time tliiit the young Canai'y 



leaves the nest, it makes rapid strides 



towai'ds indc|)en(lcnce. It 



Nursery ^^^^^^^ ^^|. ,,t.(.essitv spend 



reeding. ' 



some days in a mu'sery cage 



l)efore l)cing turned into tlie (light to 

 shift for itself, as it has to pass through a 

 sort ol' inlermcdiate stage, and imdergo 

 what is c(|niyalcnt to n weaning jirocess. 

 To carry this out the utility of s])arc cages. 

 in which groups u\' young birds, equalh' 

 advanced, can be ])l:iced. will be ohyious. 

 Hitherto their food has consisted almost 

 entirely of the egg-mixture, with just a 



very little crushed hemp-seed sprinkled 

 over the top of some canary-seed, and a 

 pinch of Germaii rajic, which nuist still 

 be continued, though the (|uantity of egg 

 must be gradually decreased, the object 

 to be attained being to get the birds on 

 hard seed as speedily as jiossible. As 

 soon as they are on the jicrch they will 

 begin to pick at the soft food, though at 

 first they will not be able to attend en- 

 tirely to their own wants, hence the value 

 of the mu'scries attached to the breed- 

 ing cages. It is not, however, desir- 

 able to keep them in leading-strings a day 

 longer than necessary, but at the same 

 time they must not be allowed to starve. 



Young birds with but few exceptions 

 can feed themselves well at the age of 

 four weeks, and man}' even a day or two 

 before this, jirovided egg-food and the little 

 crushed seed just mentioned be su]i]ilied 

 them in shallow vessels in the nursery 

 cage from the time they are placed in 

 it, though it may be some few days before 

 they can really do entirely for themselves. 

 Never forget to give fresh water daily, 

 hanging the glass on the outside of the 

 nursery cage in front of the water hole. 



The youngsters will even in the early 



days make a very rcsj)eetable attemjit at 



]>ieking up for themselves ; 

 The Hunger ,^^,^ .,,.^^.,, .^ ^^|,j|^, ^._^,^^^^ ^j^^ 



Cry. ... 



noisy chu'ping and begging. 



If not attendeil to they soim I'eel the ill 

 effects of neglect, and rutlle up their 

 feathers in a way indical i\i' of nnu'h dis- 

 eond'ort. Just in projiort ion as they have 

 still the craving to he fed will they evince 

 but small desire to assist theinsclycs; 

 ;nid when once they feel the ])inch and 

 begin to elamom-, they will refuse to help 

 themselves. Ilmiger at this stage of their 

 lives uvV/ not drive Ihntt to search for Jood_ 

 but to beg for it : and the demand must 

 be satislied. IJy degrees, and rnpid degrees, 

 they clamour less and help themselves 

 more, and every hour then mnkes the 

 matter casiei' : but np to the last, no 

 young bird must be allowed to cry for 

 food without the cock l)eiug at onee ])er- 

 niitted to jfive it a meal. Wlicn its hunger 



