54 CANARY-BIRD. 



in favour of the hand-raised birds, which 

 not only receive more care, and conse- 

 quently should be the most vigorous, but 

 they are likewise rendered far more docile 

 and affectionate by the operation. Be- 

 sides, it often occurs that young birds 

 solely attended by the parents, should the 

 old ones fall sick during the time of breed- 

 ing, which is a frequent occurrence, be- 

 come afflicted with a kind of consumption, 

 analogous to that which is common to 

 the human species. The parents, likewise, 

 frequently have five or six young birds in 

 one nest under their care, and being 

 severely fatigued in providing and carry- 

 ing food for so many, often neglect and 

 sometimes even forsake them. Of course, 

 even in the former instance, the young 

 become feeble and very often die. It also 

 becomes a matter of great relief to the 

 adults when the birds are taken from them 

 at ten or twelve days old, and they live 

 much longer than when they have the 

 whole task of rearing them themselves. 



