CANARY-BIRD. 37 



always occurs should they be paired at 

 the time above mentioned. 



When your judgment tells you that the 

 proper season has arrived, select your 

 cage, which should be of small size and in 

 a state of perfect cleanliness. At the 

 same time observe carefully that there are 

 no small red-insects in its crevices; as 

 these mites, as they are called, would be 

 productive of much injury. Of these I 

 shall speak more particularly hereafter. 

 Then choose the birds, which you intend 

 to pair, and place them together; for they 

 invariably mate sooner in a small cage 

 than in one of larger dimensions. When 

 they are at first set in company, they 

 generally disagree; but this need not be a 

 matter of alarm to their owner, as the 

 more bitter they are at the first, the sooner 

 they become reconciled, and the more per- 

 fect in their connubial felicity. This hap- 

 py period will soon be discovered by 

 marks of affection in the male towards 



