54 CANARY BIRDS. 



very well mixed with pounded hemp-seed, 

 some say pounded rape-seed, and Mr. Kidd 

 recommends bread and milk ; just enough 

 cold milk should be poured on grated bread 

 to moisten it. The day before the young 

 are expected to be hatched, and afterwards, 

 some grated bread, soaked in water and 

 pressed dry, and a finely chopped up hard 

 boiled egg, should be put into the cage in a 

 saucer. This should always be given in the 

 evening, an hour before the birds' usual 

 roosting- time, and again in the morning as 

 early as it can be conveniently done ; eight 

 or nine o'clock will do, but then the even- 

 ing supply must never be omitted, that it 

 may be ready for the early hours of small 

 birds who often die for want of an early 

 breakfast. For bread some persons substi- 

 tute biscuit. A second saucer should con- 

 tain rape-seed, which two hours before, 

 has been boiled, and afterwards washed in 

 cold water, to take away its pungency. The 

 main thing to be attended to, is, that no food 



