298 CLASS AVES. 



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about eight or ten days after their birth. In that case, the 

 young should be taken away, if they can be fed by hand ; if 

 not, they should be placed along with the nest in a little 

 cage in the centre of the other, between the bars of which 

 sufficient space is left to allow the parents to feed them 

 with facility. 



The female will sometimes perspire over the young when 

 they are but a few days old, or just bom, which is very 

 pernicious. This is observed by the feathers under her 

 stomach and belly being wet. When this occurs, they 

 should be given to another female. If, however, they are 

 six days old, there is no danger. 



Some females will lay three or four eggs, and then 

 abandon them. This is ascertained by leaving the eggs two 

 or three days in the cradle; and if the female does not 

 return, they must be given to another. But on such occa- 

 sions, as Hervieux remarks, the eggs are usually clear, 

 which the female perceives, and therefore refuses to hatch. 

 There are, however, some females — but this is very rare — 

 that will never hatch in any case ; such females should be 

 allowed to lay, and their eggs transferred to others ; still, 

 they should be left for a day or two in the nest, to try 

 them. 



The claws of these birds should be carefully cut from 

 time to time, otherwise they may chance to be broken. 

 They should not, however, be cut more than half the length, 

 or the bird cannot support itself on the perch. 



There are some females which hatch very well, but will 

 not feed the young. These should be immediately taken 

 away and given to another female, whose young are of the 

 same degree of strength. The same thing should be done 

 when some in a brood are more advanced in age than others ; 

 for the stronger will often smother the weaker, and eat up 

 all the food. Some varieties are more careless of the family 



