124 The Canary. 



or other it got out of the ilaiinel in which it Avas 

 wrapped, and was found dead when she awoke. The 

 others did not live so long, and thus all our hopes were 

 dashed to the ground, and so far as they were con- 

 cerned, there was little better prospect for the future. 



The weather, as we said, had now turned bitterly 

 cold again, and for some time our Belgian-bred birds 

 showed no symptom of building. They were evidently 

 in no hurry to begin, but at length, about the middle of 

 April, the little green hen took the lead, and set the 

 others a good example by making a beautiful little 

 nest, and depositing therein four eggs. Like Beauty 

 and Buttercup above, she selected a box close to the 

 wires in one corner, whilst Daisy soon followed her 

 example by choosing the one adjacent at the back. 

 The latter laid five eggs, much finer and larger than 

 any we had yet had, whilst both were most attentive 

 to their maternal duties, scarcely leaving their nest 

 for food. This augured well for our success, and 

 anxiously did we count the days when the |ieriod of 

 incubation should be over, and more young birds 

 should be hatched. The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth 

 days passed away, the thirteenth dawned upon our 

 sight, when, horror of horrors, from some cause or 

 other, a fierce quarrel took place between these hitherto 

 peaceable birds, and the whole of the poor little green 

 hen's eggs were scattered on the ground, the very day 

 before they should and would have been hatched, for 

 they were all good. A second time did our little 

 green hen essay to redeem the misfortune of the past, 

 but with no better success than before. Again she 



