82 The Canary Book. 



at the bottom of its cage, and immediately gave up the 

 ghost. He always contended that it was one of the best 

 singing-canaries he ever heard, and as a cock it was regarded 

 by all his acquaintances and friends who were not adepts in 

 the "fancy." 



IRREGULARLY LAYING-HENS. Some hens lay an egg and 

 then miss two or three or more days ere they lay another. 

 This is very often attributable to putting a hen up to breed 

 too early in the spring; the cold seizes her as the eggs are 

 "coming upon her" to use bird phraseology but, to speak 

 more correctly, maturing within her, and completely disorga- 

 nises her system. It may likewise proceed from age or a 

 delicate constitution, but from the first-named cause much 

 more frequently. When a hen once goes wrong during the 

 breeding-season she cannot be relied upon afterwards for 

 that season, at all events. 



SECOND AND OTHER BROODS. After a hen rears her first 

 brood she sometimes gets her feet completely clogged with 

 dirt. When this is the case, take care to clean them properly 

 before she is re-set; remove the young birds to another cage 

 properly prepared for them, as previously pointed out, clean 

 out' the cage in which she is breeding, strew it liberally with 

 sand, and take care to give her a clean nest. If the cock is 

 with the young birds, and feeding them, they may be 

 removed as soon as the hen has laid her third egg ; otherwise, 

 not until they are twenty-eight days old, as they cannot feed 

 themselves properly before they attain that age. 



YOUNG BIRDS OAST OUT OF THE NEST. It sometimes 

 happens that a hen throws one of her newly-hatched birds 

 out of the nest. If a cock is with her, and it is not discovered 

 immediately, he will most assuredly mutilate it. When the 

 hen is by herself it is rarely molested, and mostly found 

 where it had the misfortune to fall. It is astonishing how 

 long they will live in this way, especially in warm weather. 

 When a young bird is found in this predicament, and to all 

 outward appearance dead, lift it as gently as you can, place 



