CANARIES. 47 



When the young birds are four or five clays old, the breeder may find them some 

 day with the down all gone, or tangled and matted with moisture. This is an indi- 

 cation of the female having begun to sweat them, by sitting too closely. Some- 

 times this will continue, no matter what is done ; but it can often be stopped by 

 removing the male from the cage, and thus compel the female to leave the nest quite 

 frequently for food. If the male can be put in an adjoining compartment of the same 

 cage, where he can feed the female through the wires, he will incessantly call 'her to 

 come and feed ; and these invitations she cannot refuse. The chances are, that on 

 returning to the nest she will feed the young. 



Should the female forsake her young, they may be put with the other chicks, 

 where, generally, they will have good care. 



If, when the young are a week old, the nest is infested with insects, a nest, as 

 nearly as possible like the one in use, should be prepared, the birds transferred, 

 and the old nest destroyed. 



Keep the young birds confined in the nest if possible until they are three weeks 

 old, by which time they are as large as their parents, and can use the perch. If, 

 now, the female inclines to pull the feathers from the young birds, they may be put 

 in a cage with the father-bird, who will continue to feed them as long as it is 

 necessary. If, meantime, one wishes the pair to start a second brood, the male 

 should be put with his mate a short time night and morning : when the third egg has 

 been laid, he can be removed altogether, and put in charge of the young birds. 

 Young birds of the same age may be kept together quite a long time : but, if the 

 young of different ages are put together, the older birds are liable to pick the feath- 

 ers from the younger ; and, if such a course is continued, it will have serious results. 



When the young first try to eat seeds, they will grow faster and thrive better if 

 given canary seeds, rape, millet ; and some hemp, crushed for them in a coffee-mill, is 

 added. Where it is not convenient to so crush it, the seed may be moistened some 

 to soften the hulls. So far the difficulties and dangers arising in breeding Canaries 

 have been pointed out : the pleasure and satisfaction afforded in watching the 

 growth of the young, their tameness, bright, playful ways, and astonishing intelli- 

 gence, would require still larger space. 



After one or two nests of Canaries have been reared, one may take a good- 

 breeding, light-colored female, and mate with some of the Finch family early in 

 May. It is not necessary that the female should have been mated previously to 

 being mated with the Goldfinch : but, as the Finches do not mate until May, the 

 female Canary can be used up to that time ; and such use is generally beneficial. 

 For Mule-breeding, select a female that throws variegated birds : for if, when mated 

 with a Canary, she throws dark birds, when mated with the Finch the progeny will 

 be still darker; and thus the great object sought for high color will not be 

 attained. 



In selecting Goldfinches, nearly every breeder follows some whim of his own 

 which he is sure is the foundation of his success in raising handsome birds ; so there 

 are a great many theories as to what requisites a Goldfinch should possess. One 

 statement which appears to have an extensive backing is, that the bird should be a 

 Cheveral, a Goldfinch which has the distinction of a white streak from the base of 

 the lower bill down the breast ; but this is a mere statement, and not an argument, 



