ORDER PASSERES. 297 



of that prefer females of another colour. The bird substi- 

 tuted, however, should not be one that is new to the cares of 

 a family. If the female fall ill, the same course of treatment 

 adopted with the male should be pursued. But if she be 

 hatching, her eggs should be withdrawn, and given to other 

 females, which are hatching at the same time, or nearly so, 

 and also the little ones, if they are too young to be brought 

 up by hand, even though the male might feed, because they 

 are liable to perish from cold, for the want of a mother. 



Accidents, such as breaking the eggs, will occur at times 

 for want of caution. The female, instead of laying in the 

 panier, will sometimes lay an egg in a corner of the cage ; 

 great care must be observed in transferring it to the nest. 



The females are sometimes seized with an obstruction or 

 difficulty in laying, which is attended with very grievous 

 symptoms. They refuse to eat, and are sometimes so ill 

 that they cannot stand on their feet. In this case a few 

 drops of oil of sweet almonds should be introduced with the 

 head of a large pin into the oviducts, which will facilitate 

 the passage of the egg. If this do not succeed, the female 

 should be made to swallow a few drops of the oil, which 

 will have the effect of allaying her intense pain. She 

 should then be put into a small warm cage, placed in the 

 sun or near the fire until she has laid and resumed her 

 former vigour. Her food then should be boiled grain, bis- 

 cuit, or pinkseeds. If she still continue ill, the white wine 

 should be used, as we have mentioned with the male, and a 

 little of it, lukewarm and with sugar candy, should be given 

 internally. Even when she is recovered, her eggs should not 

 be left with her if she has laid any, for she will not return 

 to the nest ; they should be given to other females. 



The female has sometimes a strange habit of plucking 

 the feathers out of the young ones as they shoot out, 



