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one female to one male, for two females will seldom agree 

 well together. The breeding cage must be at least 

 two feet long, hight and depth in proportion, hung up 

 in a quiet place out of view, and disturbed as little as 

 possible. The nest-boxes are best of tin or wire, as 

 wooden ones are more liable to create insects, which 

 are very annoying to the little birds, and often cause 

 their death. To prevent this, it is well, as soon as the 

 young ones are hatched, to make a fresh nest for them 

 and remove them carefully into it, and let the old nest 

 be thrown aw^ay. 



A short time before the birds are put to breed, we 

 should commence feeding them with higher food, such 

 as hard boiled egg, chopped up fine, white and yolk to- 

 gether ; this, of course, to be exclusive of their general 

 seed. 



Some birds have defects ; for instance, some males 

 are dull and melancholy, always sad and seldom singing, 

 indifferent to their mates, which are equally so to them. 

 Others are so passionate, that they beat and even some- 

 times kill their mate and their young. Some are too 

 ardent, and annoy their mate while she in sitting on the 

 nest — destroying the eggs, tear the nest, or excite the 

 female so much that they often abandon their little 

 flock. Some females, in like manner are so ardent, that 

 as soon as they lay their eggs, they abandon them with- 

 out sitting at all. Others again, neglect to feed their 

 young ones ; beat them, and pick out their feathers. 

 Vexing as this may be, yet there is no remedy to cure 

 these defects j the best plan is to remove the vicious 



