25 



and are put into another apartment, they must still for a 

 short time be supplied with the soft food above mention- 

 ed ; for their digestive organs are rather weak as yet. 

 In about a month this may be dropped off gradually. 



The young males will commence warbling as soon 

 as they leave the nest, and improve daily for 8 or 9 

 months, when their singing quality will depend very 

 much upon the birds they are placed near.* 



The male bird is distinguished from the female by 

 having a larger and flatter head ; its color, particularly 

 around the eye, is of a brighter hue, and its action also 

 differs from the female ; these distinctions, however, are 

 only known by an experienced judge. 



The canary will breed with other birds, such as gold- 

 finches, linnets, and siskins : for this purpose we must 

 take a female canary and a male of one of the above 

 species ; for a female of the latter cannot be induce(i to. 

 lay in an artificial nest. 



* If you want to learn them a particular air from an 

 organ, or other instrument, they must be put, when very 

 young, into a separate apartment, in a dark place, out of 

 hearing of any birds, and the air played to them several 

 times a day. 



