Finches. 133 



these pests. My birds disliked them extremely, and 

 would never willingly go into them. Some prefer 

 baskets to boxes ; but they are often lazy about build- 

 ing a nest in these, whereas they cannot well dispense 

 with one in a square box, though some hens will con- 

 tent themselves with putting the nest materials in, 

 without taking the trouble to arrange and weave them 

 together. In this case, it is best to make a nest for 

 them, of moss, cow-hair or deer-hair, and cotton wad- 

 ding, using this last sparingly, lest the birds should 

 get their claws entangled in it. They will generally 

 lay their eggs contentedly in this ; but if they pull it 

 out of the box and scatter it about, they must be left 

 to their own devices till the young birds are hatched, 

 and then, if the mother bird is not very shy, she will 

 allow a little arrangement to be made for their warmth 

 and comfort. Any change, however, must be made 

 very cautiously, for some birds exceedingly object to 

 their nestlings being touched, and will desert them if 

 they are meddled with. The nest materials should 

 be hung up in a net, if possible, outside the cage, or 

 they will soon be scattered all over it ; they need a 

 little wool to felt into the harder materials, and some 

 birds will not build without it. The hen lays four or 

 five eggs one each morning as a rule ; sometimes she 

 will begin to sit as soon as she has laid the first, but it is 

 best to leave her to herself, and not to substitute ivory 

 eggs, as is sometimes done ; unless she shows a dispo- 



