14 THE CANARY BIRD. 



adopted ; and birds from the same nest 

 should never be joined, as this will reduce 

 and weaken the progeny to a certainty. 



3. For breeding with, mealy hens are 

 always the most successful, because by their 

 union with a spangle marked cock, a more 

 regular and finely marked cock is produced, 

 than if the most beautifully spangled cock 

 and hen had been the parents. 



According to St. Pierre, contrast is the 

 law of nature. At all events, with regard to 

 canaries, this rule holds good, that like should 

 never be matched with like. Here extremes 

 meet, and by the union, excellent is the off- 

 spring. 



Therefore, if one is weak, let it be matched 

 with the one that is strong ; if one is dark, 

 let the other be fair ; one spotted let the other 

 be plain ; if the one be crowned, let not even 

 the shadow of a crown or coronet grace the 

 brow of the other, and the excellence pos- 

 sessed by the one, which the other wants, 

 will be found in higher perfection, in the 

 progeny, than the single parent to which the 

 happy quality belonged. In feathered tribes, 

 more than in all others, it will be found that 

 the greatest harmony springs from opposition. 



4. To produce a full colored fine yellow 

 bird, without spot or splash, a fine large 

 mealy hen bred from a clean yellow stock, 

 should be matched with a clean bred jonque 

 cock. With every precaution, the most ac- 

 curate attention, and the minutest observa- 

 tion, a spot or splash may appear in the 



