14 THE CANARY. 



is feeding, and before she goes up to her box 

 again, for if she be put off her nest, it is a 

 jjreat chance if she do not take one or two 



o 



of the young ones out with her, which 

 are often killed by the fall. When the 

 young ones are nearly old enough to leave 

 the nest, you must be very careful not to 

 take the box out of the cage, as the young 

 birds are extremely apt to fly out. I have 

 always found it the best plan to take the 

 nest of young down when they are about a 

 fortnight old ; and to place the box, with the 

 nest and young ones, in the bottom of the 

 cage, putting a fresh box in the same place 

 from whence you took the other ; by doing 

 which the hen will take to it. 



It is necessary that the nest should be 

 carefully examined when it is taken out, 

 in order to ascertain whether there be 

 any insects in it, as they are extremely 

 destructive to young birds, and often make 

 the hen very uneasy, and leave her nest; 

 they are generally seen in the hair of the 

 nest, near the box. The best method, 

 when you find the nest infested with them, 

 is to make a fresh one yourself, placing 



