16 THE CANARY BIRD. 



matched with a fine orange colored mealy 

 female, with cap, wings, and tail regular, and 

 with a fine feather. 



PAIRING. 



The proper period for putting the birds 

 together for the purpose of pairing, depends 

 very much on the nature of the weather. In 

 general the month of March is the best time, 

 although in some seasons it may be done a 

 month earlier, and in others it is desirable to 

 wait a month longer. Some people make a 

 boast of their attempt at very early pairing, 

 but it is a very idle boast, as precocious 

 breeding is never profitable, both injuring 

 the constitution of the parents, and turning 

 out in general an inferior brood. Young 

 birds have been produced even before this 

 period, but it is at a great sacrifice, and under 

 disadvantages which will tell before the end 

 of the season. They must be brought up, 

 and at the early period of their existence, 

 must subsist without that green food with 

 which, at a later period, their parents and 

 themselves could be so abundantly supplied. 

 What is gained in time is lost in power, as 

 in the summer months there will be less in- 

 clination and less capacity for incubation. 



Common canaries that have spent the 

 winter together, may indeed be put into the 

 breeding cage and left to themselves ; in these 

 circumstances they seldom breed too early, 

 but it is also true they seldom breed well. 



It is better to separate them for a short 



