1 34 Bird-keeping. 



sition to eat her eggs \ and if this is the case, either 

 with her or her husband, they are not likely to succeed 

 in their nursery. But the attempt may be made to 

 take them away till the hen is ready to sit, and then 

 give them back to her. She will sit thirteen or four- 

 teen days. If after waiting a day or two no young 

 birds appear, the eggs should be put into warm water 

 for a minute : if they float, they are in all probability 

 addled and useless ; but if they sink, they may be re- 

 placed in the nest for a day or two : if not hatched 

 then, they should be taken away, or the hen will go on 

 sitting, in the vain hope of hatching birds which are 

 dead. 



The egg food which I have mentioned, and which 

 should be given to the birds as soon as they are mated, 

 must be put into the cage in readiness for the first 

 appearance of the young birds, and it is necessary to 

 watch the old birds' proceedings, as now and then they 

 are unnatural enough to leave them unfed, and occa- 

 sionally the cock will maltreat them, and pull them 

 out of the nest, or peck them. Some birds are very 

 shy of being seen to feed their young, and it is very 

 difficult to find out whether they perform their duties 

 or not ; others will delight in seeing them noticed, and 

 will call our attention to their infant brood, apparently 

 with very great parental exultation. 



The father generally takes the greatest share of the 

 duty of feeding the young, and feeds his wife also 



