153 



them a few times into their own pens, if they are at a loss to find them. By attending 

 to these rules, the bird will soon become steady and settled. Particular care should 

 also be taken always to give the cock the same habitation he had last year ; if not, he 

 will get master of two pens, and occasion the difficulty just mentioned. The same care 

 is not necessary with regard to the hens, they will always follow their cocks when tho- 

 roughly matched. 



OF THE NEST PANS. 



457. Every pair of birds should be provided with a nest pan, which should be put 

 on the shelf in the pen, the birds made to go to nest there, as pointed out in my ob- 

 servations upon making the pens. These pans should be about eight inches in diame- 

 ter at the top, and between three and four inches in depth ; they should not be per- 

 pendicular, but slope from the top to the base ; should be rough on the inside, for the 

 better retention of the straw. These can be made at any pottery, upon giving a mo- 

 del or proper instructions how they are to be made. Some Fanciers have used 

 little nests in the shape of a pan, made with straw bands, after the fashion of a bee- 

 hive ; these are objectionable on account of the harbour they afford for vermin, from 

 which it would be impossible ever to clear them. 



MAEKS 



BY WHICH TO ASCERTAIN THE COLOUES OF YOUNG BIRDS IN THE NEST. 



548. If the beak has no mark on it, is quite white, the bird will be an Almond. 



If the beak is white, and has a little patch of black somewhere about it, this will 

 probably be a Splash ; should it be an Almond, it will most likely have a great deal of 

 black about it. 



If the beak be crossed on the point with a black stripe, or cross, rather inclining to 

 blue, this bird will be a black, not a Kite. 



If with a deep blue mark, it will be a blue, which colour is very objectionable ; if the 

 pair should throw this colour more than once, they should be parted ; were they mine, 

 I should part them the first time. 



If with a black mark, rather inclining to, or having a faint tinge of red, it will be a 

 Kite, and most likely a rich one. 



If with a slatey-coloured mark it will be a Dun. 



If with a straw-colour, a Yellow. 



If with a deeper straw-colour, incUning to red, an Agate. And, 



If with a deep red, it will be a Red, or Red-mottled bird. 



459. By minute attention to these marks, the Fancier will seldom fail in his predic- 

 tion of the colour, long before any signs of feathers are visible. 



460. With respect to such young birds turning out good or bad, cannot be reduced 

 to so great a certainty ; they alter so much in the nest, that a person would sometimes 

 scarce think it was the same bird he had seen a day or two before, was he not certain 

 no one could have changed it. These alterations are sometimes for the better, some- 

 times for the worse, so there is no saying, with any precision, which will, or will not, be 

 a good bird uStil after it has moulted, when the bird is seen in full beauty and to the 

 best advantage. Notwithstanding this, I am inclined to think a good Fancier, who 

 has made his observations, can give a pretty good guess, so far as head and beak only 

 are concerned, because they are apparent, and the other properties occult, and not to 

 be discovered till the bird arrives at maturity. If the young is chubby about the beak, 

 has little space between the head and the wattle, he may be assured he will be a short- 

 faced bird, and may, in general, tell whether the beak will be coarse or fine. 



OF DRAFTING 



THE YOUNG ONES INTO ANOTHER LOFT. 



461. This is very desirable, provided the Fancier is not straightened for room. As 

 soon as the young ones feed themselves they should be taken into the loft provided for 



