62 CANARIES 



more quickly than others, therefore they need watching. 

 The free use of the bath, and frequent changing of the 

 perches will prevent dirty feet. When birds have fed 

 they frequently wipe their beaks on the perches, this 

 causes the perches to be sticky and bits of dirt and sand 

 adhere to them, and also to the feet of the birds in con- 

 sequence. 



Should it happen that an egg should be slightly cracked 

 or chipped, a very small piece of gold beaters skin or 

 stamp edging may be stuck over the chip or crack. Paint- 

 ing with collodion will sometimes answer as weU. What- 

 ever is done care should be taken to remove it on the 

 thirteenth day by soaking the egg in warm water. When 

 an egg is badly cracked so that the inner membrane is 

 broken, then the case is hopeless, and the best plan is to 

 remove the egg at once, or it will break and its contents 

 foul the nest and the other eggs. 



Thin shelled eggs are usually the ones that get damaged 

 in this manner. It is therefore wise at all times to have 

 a piece of cuttle fish hanging in the breeding cage. Lack 

 of shell-forming matter is the cause of thin-shelled eggs. 



Malformed Feet. 



Young canaries are often hatched with that malforma- 

 tion known as " slip claw." That is, the hind claw doubles 

 forward under the ball of the foot instead of standing 



Deformed Claws and Methods of Dealing with them. 

 Fig. 1. Back claw which comes forward put back into place with a 



piece of rubber tubing. 



Fig. II. Crooked Toe, tied into position with fine wool or silk and 



a piece of quill. 



