THE CANARY. 285 



quill, ten or twelve times a day. About four quills-full will 

 be found sufficient for a meal. 



Up to the twelfth day the young are almost destitute of 

 feathers, and need the warmth of their mother's wing ; and it 

 is sometimes the case, especially in cold dry seasons, that they 

 never become properly fledged. A lady, who has paid a good 

 deal of attention to this subject, Madame C. has observed 

 that the growth of the feathers is promoted by a bath of luke- 

 warm water. A similar immersion she has found to be of 

 great use in aiding the young birds when not yet hatched 

 to chip the shell. After the thirteenth day they are able to 

 feed themselves ; and when a month old, may be taken from 

 the parent birds, and confined in separate cages, which it is 

 advisable to hang at some distance from one another. Tor a 

 few weeks, rape seed, soaked in the manner above described, 

 should be mixed with their ordinary food ; as a too sudden 

 change of diet would probably have an unfavourable effect on 

 their health during the moulting season. 



When the young are from twelve to fourteen days old, the 

 female begins to prepare for a second brood ; builds a new nest, 

 and has often laid her eggs, before the former brood are fully 

 fledged. I must not, however, omit to state, that when a 

 male has been paired with two females, in the manner before 

 mentioned, one of which dies before her eggs are hatched, the 

 other will receive them into her nest, sit on them till they are 

 hatched, and treat the young birds with as much attention as 

 her own. To do this, she will even avoid and repulse the 

 caresses of her mate. It is alleged not without some show 

 of probability that the healthiest and strongest Canaries are 

 such as have been bred in garden aviaries, which afford abun- 

 dant opportunities for exercise. 



The Canary frequently pairs with birds of not dissimilar 

 species, and produces mules, which propagate their kind. As 

 we have before seen, the Linnet, Lesser Eedpole, Goldfinch, 

 Siskin, Serin and Citril Finches, are best adapted for this pur- 

 pose. Experiments, also, with the Bullfinch and Greenfinch 

 are said to have succeeded. If young birds of any of the 

 above-mentioned species be taken from the nest at a very early 

 period, and reared by hand, it makes no difference whether 

 they or the Canaries be male or female.* Otherwise, it is best 



* It is well known that the Canary has occasionally paired with the 



