12 THE CANARV. 



leave them to themselves, so that they may 

 not be disturbed. 



When the hen sits on her nest all night, 

 which is often the case before she lays, as 

 indeed I have sometimes known her to sit 

 four or five nights before she has deposited 

 her first egg, I would recommend her to be 

 watched ofl' her nest, when the box must be 

 taken down very carefully, and the egg (if 

 she has laid one), lifted out with a tea- 

 spoon, placed in some bran, and covered 

 over ; a bad egg, or one made of bone or 

 ivory, ought to be put into the nest for the 

 hen to lay to, for she will be very uneasy if 

 die misses her egg, and I have occasionally 

 remarked them to pull the nest in pieces, 

 and build in another box, in doing which a 

 great deal of time is often lost. 



I have always found it the best plan to 

 take the eggs from the hen as soon as they 

 are laid, putting in as many bad ones, or 

 those made of ivory, as you take out good 

 ones, till she has laid her four eggs ; when 

 the bad ones must be taken out, and the 

 good ones put in again. Notice the day 

 that the hen is set upon her own eggs, as the 



