181 



ther, in which case they produce white and blind or purry-eyed birds. On not matching 

 birds too high ; "in this I quite agree, John Boys, 1849." 



588. Page 21. On dun colour : "But on breeding for feather, they are most useful 

 in high bred matches. A dun in general, is a brown black, or a black brown ; at least, 

 it is a very bad black, and sometimes a blue black. A good dun, in its first plumage, 

 should shew a silvery appearance, that is, should seem to indicate that in its first moult 

 it would become silvery." 



589. Page 22. On pairing : " I recommend that pedigree in this case be attended 

 to, for doubtless a parent, or grand-parent, of almost every splash may be traced, and 

 if that parent was defective in any other point, the match of a young splash shoxild be 

 considered and regulated accordingly; in reference to the hen he should have, the 

 splashes often fail in eye." 



590. Page 23. On prevening a cock getting master of two pens : *' I had one unruly 

 cock, and could only cure him of his tricks by swinging him round and round until ha 

 was so giddy that he could not stand, and then put him into the breeding place where 

 he had so trespassed, and the pair so trespassed upon gave him a sound thrashing, and 

 forced him down from the nest, after which he desisted and gave up the point." 



591. Page 24. On nest pans : " eight and a half inches out to out at top ; three and 

 a half deep, seven and a half wide bottom, outside. This is the admeasurement of my 

 pans made on purpose. (Four dozen.)" 



592. Page 25. On straw : " Oat straw is best." 



593. Page 26. On the cocks worrying and driving hens to nest : " I think this is a 

 useless precaution unless the birds are crowded. After the hen has laid the first egg, 

 the cock becomes quiet, and whenever she is separated from amongst the crowd of other 

 birds, lie in general ceases to drive her ; and it is better to leave them to themselves 

 and to the instincts of nature, unless the cock be quite violent." 



594. Page 27. On laying first egg : " Or soon after ;" on second egg : " More fre- 

 quently nearer about two o'clock." 



595. Page 28. On laying ; observes, see Page 37. " Quite unnecessary ; warmth 

 only is necessary ; wrong and dangerous." 



596. Page 29. On laying : " The necessity for this has never yet come under my 

 observation, 1849 ; nor since. — J. B., 1851." " I have saved many an egg dropped on 

 the floor, by placing a very small quantity of hay or straw under or round the egg, and 

 watching that hen that will go to it, and, when discovered, I have put the egg into the 

 nest intended for her, and shut her up until she has laid the second egg." 



597. Page 31. On parting the birds : " I recommend the middle of September ; be- 

 cause, late bred birds will otherwise be moulting in cold weather, and when this is the 

 case, they seldom or never become strong and healthy, without artificial warmth, and 

 much trouble. When a bird from a valuable breed happens to be hatched so late as in 

 the second week of October, and if it be much desired to save it, the best plan is to let 

 its parents or nurses lay once more, and compel them to lay in the nest where this young 

 valuable one is, and by this means the parents will always be sitting on the new eggs 

 with the young ones, and thereby the additional warmth wiU save it ; then break the 

 eggs and destroy the nest, about ten days after being sit upon." 



598. Page 33. On barren birds. — See a note at the foot of page 34. 



599. Pages 34-35. On hatching ; " I think the author is mistaken on two points in 

 reference to barren birds and the providing of soft meat. I have a pair of red mottles 

 that have brought up four nests in the season of 1849, without once laying, but with a 

 severe driving to the nest by the cock ; upon each occasion I first gave them sham eggs, 

 which I cheated to believe were laid on the first and third day, and upon one of those 

 occasions when they had only set ten days I happened to have an odd young one, just 

 hatched, and of little value, and for the sake of experiment, I put it under the barren 

 birds, to try if they could furnish soft meat before the proper time, and I was agreeably 

 surprised to find that they could and did supply it, although not so effectually as if they 

 had sat the full seventeen days ; but nevertheless, the supply, was sufficient to save the 

 young one, and they brought up the young one to be a remarkably strong one. It 



