182 



should, however, be mentioned, that I gave the barren birds a mixed food or refuse — 

 rice and bruised hempseed, in addition to what they could pick up out of the pigeon- 

 house, and they became as good nurses as the other birds that bred in due course. 



600. Page 35. On egg springing and chipping. — See page 37. 



601. Page 36. On the least efiusion of blood will be fatal to the foetus : " not quite 

 fatal." 



602. Page 37. On hatching ; " My practice was always as follows : — early on the 

 seventeenth day if the egg remained entire and unchipped, I put the egg into a tea-cup 

 full of water, blood warm, and the hollow part of the egg where the beak was, would 

 always float uppermost ; I then punctured the shell at that part to give air, and took 

 away so much shell as was free from the caul or membrane, and then put the egg under 

 the parent. In the evening, if no progress had been made, I cracked the egg-shell all 

 round with my thumb nail, and on the following morning I found the young one had 

 always been hatched, unless any blood had been shed by the operation. — J. B." 



603. Page 40. On shifting ; " sometimes the seventh." 



604. Page 41. On shifting ; ''In general there should not be a greater length of 

 time than seven days. I very seldom exceed three or four days and when the difference 

 is so great as nine or ten days the young ones begin to show the color of their feather, 

 and in consequence thereof the old ones will sometimes on discovering the cheat, kill 

 them or turn them out of the nest ; this however occurs but seldom." It is an excellent 

 plan to remove the pans of young ones by slow degrees, i. e. from shelf to shelf down- 

 wards to the floor, where by placing clean straw in a warm corner the young of ten or 

 twelve days old, on getting out of their nests will resort and cluster together, thereby 

 obtaining constant warmth from each other, being fed by all the old birds that have 

 young ones on the same floor, which is always the case. I have seldom less than five 

 or six in a nest in this manner, at one time, on the floor. 



605. Page 42. On hen with egg ; ''after the birds are paired the hen will go seven 

 or eight days with egg before laying." On shifting ; " How is this to be accomplished 

 without endangering the nurselings placed under the care ? The plan is not a good one 

 in my opinion," 



606. Page 44. On marks to ascertain the colour of birds. — See page 21. 



607. Page 45. On marks, &c. " Several of these points are correct, but this is not 

 to be depended on." 



608. Page 46. On drafting young birds ; " In this respect great caution is required ; 

 a young one should have eaten alone three or four days before being separated from its 

 parents ; for, upon being put amongst strange young ones, they will always at least 

 cease to feed heartily and perhaps not at all, lose flesh, and become iU : the best plan is 

 to draft them in thf* morning, and if towards evening their crops are empty, remove 

 them back again to the parents until the following morning, and repeat this for two or 

 three days, when they will do well, and may be finally separated safely. (1847.)" 



609. Page 47. On drafting young birds and their food ; " Fine refuse ; rice at aU 

 times in the breeding season, or wheat, tares old, ticks old, hemp in very small 

 quantity, and very seldom on rape ; and canary I object to." 



610. Page 48, On barren birds. — See page 34. 



611. Page 51. On vermin, and blue ointment; "on each side of the breast bone ; 

 but it is too violent and dangerous a remedy upon a very valuable bird." 



612. Pages 52-53. On fumigating ; " My plan by fumigation has been very ruc- 

 cessful as foUows : — Make a large brown paper bag with a hole through the bottom 

 sufficient for a bird's head to be passed through it, put the bird in the bag with its head 

 outwards through the hole, and then with fumigating bellows fill the bag with very strong 

 tobacco smoke, taking care that the bird's head is kept on the outside, so as to breathe 

 good air ; in three or four rfiinutes every insect will be kiUed, and set the bird at large ; 

 where eggs and knits are deposited, amongst the neck feathers, repeat the fumigation 

 about in the ensuing month. — Qu. Would not an oiled silken bag be more manage- 

 able and uaeiul ? 



