190 The Canary Book. 



by her appearance and behaviour, repels her, and abuses her 

 accordingly. This treatment will lead to a conflict ; but if, on 

 the other hand, the bird you presume to be a male should turn 

 out a female, they may, through jealousy, have a fight, but it 

 will neither be so violent nor of such long duration as it would 

 be in the former erent. 



TIMID BIRDS, &c. Some birds are so nervous that they never 

 attempt to sing in the presence of any person for a very 

 considerable period of time. I have known instances of 

 amateurs pairing a bird of this description with another male 

 canary, and they have gone through some of the manoeuvres 

 incident to breeding, such as billing and feeding and making 

 a nest, &c. I have also known two females paired, by tyros in 

 the fancy, and they laid and sat, but of course brought forth 

 nothing. In one case I heard of both hens having laid in the 

 same nest, and they had ten eggs between them, but they 

 broke most of them through fighting for possession of the 

 nest, both wanting to incubate together. Others, again, will 

 agree and both sit together in the same nest. 



BIRDS DECLINING TO SINO IN THE PRESENCE OP OTHER 

 BIRDS. Some birds sing freely enough when left by them- 

 selves, but refuse to do so in the presence of other birds. This 

 happens most frequently with birds that have been kept for 

 singing only, and have been isolated for a long time, and 

 probably petted as well. Whenever a strange bird is introduced 

 to the presence of an old bachelor bird, unaccustomed to the 

 company of his brotherhood, he is liable to become peevish and 

 jealous, and is certain to be excited to anger or pleasure on such 

 an occasion, but more frequently the former than the latter, in 

 which case he will sulk and refuse to sing; but, if he takes 

 kindly to a companion, he will most likely sing even harder and 

 louder than before the introduction, through rivalry. The only 

 means of getting a bird of the former disposition to recom- 

 mence to sing is to remove the stranger or intruder. 



CANARIES LEARNING THE SONGS OF OTHER BIRDS, &o. 

 Canaries readily learn the songs of other birds, more particu- 



