66 The Canary Book. 



this is easily known if she fails to lay on the third morning. 

 It sometimes happens, too, that a hen only lays one egg; 

 under these circumstances I never permit her to sit, as it 

 is a sign that the hen is not in really good condition, and 

 hence the probability is that the egg will be fruitless, 

 and it will be a waste of time to set her; in instances of this 

 kind feed the birds liberally and give them plenty of 

 fresh air which is an essential element at all times in 

 bird-breeding. When a hen has laid three eggs she ought 

 to be set. 



Before the brood of young are fit to be removed from 

 the parental care, the hen begins to lay another batch of 

 eggs, and the young birds frequently leave their own nest 

 and go beside their mother. If the eggs are not removed 

 as soon as laid, they are not infrequently fouled; in all such 

 cases the eggs should be carefully removed and immersed 

 in lukewarm water, the shells cleaned of the excrement 

 and gently dried with a soft silk handkerchief or piece of 

 fine linen rag. It is a somewhat delicate operation, requiring 

 much care, or the eggs will get broken or damaged. Bird- 

 fanciers should keep their finger-nails cut short during the 

 breeding-season. 



NEST-EOKJS. The best kind of nest-eggs to use are those 

 made of bone, wood, or ivory; but when these are not 

 procurable take a few fruitless eggs, make a hole at each 

 end of them, and blow out the contents. These answer 

 very well. The wooden eggs are easily made with a pen- 

 knife, a file, and a piece of sand-paper. 



INCUBATION. The period of incubation is usually fourteen 

 days, although in hot weather hens have been known to 

 hatch at the end of thirteen days, and others will sit fifteen 

 days. At the end of four or five days blood vessels begin 

 to form if the eggs are fruitful, and at the end of eight 

 days they are quite opaque. This can be discovered by 

 holding the eggs in a strong sunlight between the fore- 

 finger and thumb. 



