Breeding and Management. 85 



amateurs who merely breed birds to sing ; this latter 

 accomplishment being considered by everyone who is not 

 initiated in the knowledge and mysteries of the " fancy " as 

 the great sine qua non of bird-breeding; whereas to a real 

 fancier the song of a bird is quite an after consideration 

 size, shape, contour, colour, feather markings, crest, &c., are 

 the grand points in his estimation, according to the different 

 varieties of the birds. He wants birds to show, not to sing; 

 and, therefore, unless they come up to the standard of " show 

 birds'* they are of little value to him except as breeding 

 stock, if the strain be reliable and well known. 



In aviary breeding a dozen hens with three cocks will, 

 with moderately good luck, produce a great number of young 

 birds ; as in cases of this kind they pair promiscuously. 

 Sometimes the cocks assist in feeding the young birds, but 

 not always. Branches of trees or shrubs may be placed in 

 the room or aviary, or artificial nests may be hung here 

 and there. If branches of trees be used, they should be cut 

 from large evergreens, such as holly or laurel, or pine boughs 

 (Pinus pinea, Linn.), which should be cut in January or 

 February, as they will not then shed their leaves, and placed 

 in large flower-pots or small tubs, filled with earth and made 

 firm. If real trees or shrubs be used the birds will pluck 

 and destroy them. They prefer the orange tree to all others 

 to build their nests in. One great drawback to this plan of 

 breeding is that two or more hens are apt to select the 

 same spot in which to make their nests, and a brisk conflict 

 is the result. As soon as one hen commences to build, the 

 other will pull out the material, and then a warfare is begun 

 which is not easily quelled. First one hen is master of the 

 situation, and then the other, and it is astonishing to witness 

 the pertinacity which they display on such occasions. I have 

 known a hen make a nest, and as soon as she has finished 

 it another hen has gone and taken forcible possession of it 

 In all such cases war, and "war to the knife," is certain, 

 and very often a hen's full complement of eggs is broken in 

 the affray 



