CANARY BIRDS. 



61 



my fingers ; and as to Bully and Bobby, it 

 is laughable to see how they sidle and bow, 

 and fluff out their fine plumes, and go edg- 

 ing along as long as any one will talk to 

 them. One of the prettiest sights is a little 

 bird requesting to be fed ; it looks so pretty, 

 fluttering its wings and putting up its head." 

 Crack a hempseed and present it on the end 

 of a finger, and the entreaty of the little fel- 

 low for " more " reminds us of Oliver Twist. 

 When the young are from twelve to four- 

 teen days old, the hen begins to prepare for 

 a second brood, builds a new nest, and has 

 often laid her eggs before the former brood 

 are fully fledged ; the male taking care of 

 the first brood. When a male has been 

 paired, in the manner before mentioned, with 

 two females, 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, proving a good 

 step-mother. 



