HOW TO MATE BIRDS. 25 



A question often asked at bird-stores is, 



"How DO YOU MATE A PaIR OF BiRDS ? " The 



reader is supposed to own a male canary. If such 

 supposition be true, then go to a first-class bird-store, 

 and buy a female canary and breeding-cage ; and 

 the very best way to mate a pair of birds is to place 

 the female in the breeding-cage, and hang it up on 

 one side of the room ; and, /eavhig the male bird m 

 his cage, hang him up on the other side, and within 

 sight of her. If he sings and calls to her, and she 

 calls back in return, as much as to say, " May I 

 come in your cage ? " then you can put them 

 together; and, though they may quarrel at first, this 

 will be only of short duration, and they will very 

 soon mate. 



" The tuneful choir in amorous strains 

 Accost their feathered loves ; 

 While each fond mate, with equal pains, 

 The tender suit approves." 



In mating Birds, a young male and old female 

 produce mostly male birds ; and those of about the 

 same age produce about equal proportions of both 

 males and females. 



A FEMALE Canary will mate with the following 

 birds, and produce a very beautiful songster, which 

 is known as a mule : the linnet, goldfinch, bulfinch, 

 siskin, our native bobolink, indigo-bird, and other 

 birds of a similar size ; and the male from these 

 birds is very highly prized on account of his beauty 

 and song. 



A hybrid variety is mentioned in a German work 



