BREEDING FINCH-CANARY HYBRIDS 



357 



When she is ready to go to nest again, 

 run the Finch with iior again as hel'ore. 

 It is rare that any British bird, otlu-r than 

 the Goldfinch or Siskin, attcin])ts to touch 

 the eggs or nest. Birds that arc hl:ely to 

 interfere with eggs frequently have a habit 

 of pidling the nest to pieces as fast as the 

 hen builds it, and such birds should always 

 have a close eye kept on their movements. 

 It is always well to remove the first three 

 eggs laid, for reasons which are explained 

 in the chapter on Canary breeding. 



As to cages, the ordinary Canary box 

 breeding-cage answers well, though most 

 Hybrid breeders prefer a double one, with 

 one compartnunt a little larger tlian the 

 other for the convenience of sliutting off 

 the British bird each night, where it is 

 found necessary to do so, with a movable 

 partition, hanging the nest pan in the 

 larger compartment. These double cages 

 are made in just the same way as tliose 

 described for Canaries, but see that the 

 water holes are not too large, or the smaller 

 young Hybrids may get out tjirougji them 

 when they first leave the nest, for, as a 

 rule, all Ilylirids fledge more quickly, and 

 leave the nest earlier than Canaries. The 

 usual time is at about fourteen days, and 

 they may then leave the nest any day. 

 The ordinary earthenware nest pans used 

 for Canary breeding answer equally well 

 for Hybrid breeding. If preferred, and 

 space admits, the little German wicker 

 cages can be used for the hen Bullfinches, 

 such as dcscriijed in Mr. Stevens' experi- 

 ence. 



As a diet for the respective pairs, the 

 following will be found a very good seed 

 mixture for Goldfincli. (ircen- 

 fineh and Canary-BulUincli pairs. 

 Canary seed two parts, with one part 

 German rape, a like quantity of teazle, 

 liemp, niger, linseed, groats, and white 

 sunflower seed, all mixed together; the 

 husk f)f the sunflower seed sjiould be 

 first cracked before giving. 



For the Linnet, Siskin, Redjioll, and 

 Twite ])aii's the same mixture in like pro- 

 portions answers well, omitting the henqi 

 and sunflower seeds as too fattening if 



given regularly. When the hens are rearing 

 young a little hemp should be added to 

 their mixture, the same as for the others. 

 They should also all have a supply of a 

 good wild seed mixture composed of 

 charlock, thistle, knajiweed, dock, ])lan- 

 tain, shepherd's purse, etc., etc., to which 

 may be added, when procurable, a supply 

 of the sweepings from the threshing-room 

 floor, which is obtainable from most farmers 

 who .thresh their corn for the mere earr\ing 

 away, ^'arious wild seed heads should 

 also lie given as tlrey come into season, 

 scarcely any of them come amiss to the 

 lairds, even to the seed of the common 

 stinging nettle. The only trouble is that 

 the majority of the ])irds do not get suffi- 

 cient of them, as a ride, in their half-ripe 

 succulent form. A supply of egg food in 

 moderation must also be given, as in the 

 case of canaries, and a little maw seed 

 witla it. Other green foods can also be 

 gi\'en, such as watercress or seeding chick- 

 weed, but see to it that it is fresh and 

 sweet. The hens, while sitting, are better 

 witliout egg food, l)ut while rearing young 

 they must have a fresh sujiply two or 

 three times a day, in addition to the seed 

 and green food, just the same as if rearing 

 young canaries. 



^Vhen the young Hyl^rids first commence 

 to feed themselves — which they can do 

 by the time they are four weeks old, most 

 of them a few days before — they nuist 

 have egg food and their seed cracked, as 

 explained in the chapter on feeding young 

 canaries, weaning tliem off on to the hard 

 seed in a similar manner. The seed mix- 

 ture recommended for the parents answers 

 well for the various Hybrids as soon as 

 they can crack the hard seed, except omit 

 the hemp seed for each of the crosses ex- 

 cept the Goldfinch cross, and even for this 

 cross this seed should be given very spar- 

 ingly, a little just as a tit-bit. The various 

 wild seeds in tlieir succulent form and the 

 wild seed mixture will also be nuich 

 enjoyed by the Hybrids as tit-bits. A 

 small meal worm occasionally will please 

 Master (ireenie while breeding, and the 

 hen bullies also, after they have once 



