64 The Canary Book. 



Some fanciers prefer not to give green food to their birds 

 during breeding operations, only egg food and seed. I have 

 tried both plans, and prefer giving wholesome green food in 

 moderation, preferring ripe chick-weed, groundsel, dandelion, 

 and young lettuce to all other kinds; in excess green food is 

 decidedly objectionable. 



I have seen it asserted that the giving of green food causes 

 the hens to sweat their young; this is in my opinion a mi a. 

 taken notion, and not tenable by any rule of logic or common- 

 sense, and in my experience it certainly proved fallacious. 

 Birds are sweated by the hens sitting too close, and the 

 oftener you can tempt them to leave the nest, the less likely 

 are they to become too hot, and thereby overheat their pro- 

 geny. Nothing will tempt them to come off the nest sooner 

 than a fresh supply of green food, which should be well washed 

 and given to them damp, inside the cage in a suitable vessel ; 

 they will be sure to have a refresher by settling on the 

 top of it, and trying to turn it into a substitute for a bath. 

 It has also been advocated to feed birds solely on seed soaked 

 in water, and given fresh frequently. Such advice I consider 

 can only be given by persons of limited experience, and I 

 regard it as an absurd and impractical suggestion, and one 

 contrary to the natural instincts of the birds themselves, as 

 can be easily proved by placing the two foods soaked seed 

 and the prepared egg food side by side, and allowing them 

 their choice. I knew a working-man, a bird fancier, who, 

 owing to ill-health and misfortune, could not afford to purchase 

 eggs and luxuries for his birds, one season reared several 

 young ones on boiled potatoes mixed with bread previously 

 soaked in water, and on this diet they thrived, and appeared 

 strong and healthy. This is a much more sensible method than 

 the sole use of seeds for such delicately-constituted things as 

 newly-hatched canaries. 



EGG-BOUND. When the hens are about to lay they should 

 be closely watched, and if a hen is expected to lay, and she 

 does not do so before nine o'clock in the morning, but appears 

 dull and drooping, and sitting with her feathers ruffled up, 



