THE BELGIAN CANARY 



3^7 



occurs, choose massive ]iropoi'tions in the 

 cock coupled with good broad shoulders — 

 the better the position of tlic l^rd the more 

 prominent these will be — and look for ele- 

 gant conformation in the hen. If the cock 

 lacks this massiveness, but is otherwise 

 good, his partner must be strong in this 

 respect, with also other good properties ; 

 remembering, when pairing 

 birds, that what is lacking 

 in one must be well de- 

 veloped in its mate. 



The laws affecting colour 

 and feather rule as in every 

 other variety, Yellow and 

 Buff being mated according 

 to the established plan, but, 

 if two Buffs are at any 

 time more suitalile in shape 

 and position, they can be 

 paired Buff to Buff ; but as 

 far as possible pair Yellow to Buff, and a 

 Ticked or Marked bird, too, is usually 

 paired to a Clear. 



The Belgian Canary is popularly supposed 

 to be weaklj^ and having seen it luider 

 nearly every condition we 

 might instance as many ex- 

 am{)les in support of its 

 robustness as of the reverse : still we 

 think that the careful breeding it has gone 

 through has developed extreme sensitive- 

 ness, and for this reason we have usually 

 given its eggs to Yorkshires to hatch and 

 rear. Our friend, Mr. J. Robei'tson, allows 

 his Belgians to rear their own yoiuig. and 

 assiu'ed us some years since that he never 

 found any ill effects from so doing. ^Ir. 

 George Baker, of Barnstaple, does the same, 

 but Mr. G. H. Mackereth, of Ulverston. in 

 a correspondence in Tin- Feathered World 

 some years ago, said he had found them 

 anything but good parents. We our- 

 selves have had a Belgian hen so attentive 

 to her brood as to drop exhausted from 

 the side of the nest while feeding them. 

 Breeders must therefore be guided by cir- 

 cumstances, but it is advisable to have a 

 few pairs of another variety available 

 rather than run the risk of losing young 

 birds owing to a parent's neglect. 



We illustrate a nest box attached to the 

 breeding cage used in Belgium, but we, 

 however, prefer the ordinary box 

 breeding cage, with the eartlienware nest 

 pan hung in the cage in the usiuvl way, as 

 being more sanitary. 



From the hour the yoiuig leave the nest 

 the rule must be laid down that except 



Belgians as 

 Parents. 



A TRAVELLING C4GE 



in cases of emergency thvij must never be 



handled, owing to the nervous nature of 



the breed. Other Canaries 



Training require to be tame, but a 



the Birds. ^ . . 



good show Belgian needs this 



property more than all. Moveover the 

 Belgian has a strong repugnance to being 

 caught, especially when young. The birds 

 from infancy are easily taught to pass from 

 one cage to another in the way already al- 

 luded to when speaking of the travelling cage. 



Training should be commenced when 

 they are quite young so as to get them 

 familiar with and steady in the show cage. 

 The custom is to hang the show cage on a 

 nail in the wall for a few minutes each 

 time the birds are run into it ; but it is 

 also advisable to accustom them to stand 

 on the table as well, as they will then be 

 at ease when on the show bench. 



The ordinary routine is necessary in 

 moulting the Belgian, which is not colour- 

 fed. Every care, however should be taken to 

 encourage a quick moult, by keeping the 

 birds free from draughts and in an 

 even temperature. Give just 

 Moulting. 5.^jf^^.ig,^t "tit-bits" with the 



ordinary moulting diet to maintain the 

 birds' strength up to concert pitch until 

 the moult is completed. 



