CANARY-BIRD. 69 



filled with mustard; the newly laid egg 

 must then be taken out of the box and the 

 other inserted in its stead. The cock-bird 

 will, on discovering it, immediately attempt 

 to suck it, an attempt which I will war- 

 rant he will never dream of again. If you, 

 out of tenderness for him, would prefer a 

 milder course, take him from the hen and 

 put him in a separate cage near her, until 

 she has done laying, which always hap- 

 pens by eight o'clock in the morning; then 

 take her egg from the nest, replacing it 

 with an ivory one. After this the bird 

 may be returned to its old locality. 



This separation should be repeated 

 every night, returning him each time when 

 you have removed the egg, until the hen 

 has completed her quantity; but then he 

 must be kept from her until her brood is 

 hatched, and the young able to fly about. 

 This is of course effectual; but the first 

 mode is the most simple and the most 

 certain. Care should be taken of the 

 eggs removed from the bird, and a box 



