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would sometimes scarce think it was the same bird he had seen a day or two 

 before, was he not certain that no one could liave changed it. These alterations 

 are sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse, so that there is no 

 saying, with any precision, which will, or will not, be a good bird, imtil after it 

 has moulted, when the bird is seen in full beauty, and to the best advantage. 

 Notwithstanding tliis, I am inclined to think that 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 maUirity. But, if the young one is chubby 

 about the beak, and has very little space between the head and the wattlp,he may 

 be assured it will be a short-faced bird, and may, in general, tell whether the beak 

 will be coarse or fine. 



OF DRAFTING 



THE YOUNO ONES INTO ANOTHER LOFT. 



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

 soon as the young ones can feed themselves, they should be taken into the Icift 

 provided for them, and have plenty of gravel and mortar, and their area should 

 be kept thorough clean, where they will pick themselves, and bask in the sun, 

 and thrive prodigiously. 



Their food should be the best tares ; or if sound beans could be procured that 

 are small enough, I should prefer them, but it will be better to let them have 

 both, as I do not think tares alone, a wholesome diet, being apt to make them scour. 



An additional reason for drafting the young ones off, is, that the old ones should 

 not continue feeding them, till tliey are on the point of hatching again, which they 

 will do, even though they can feed themselves, and which is very injurious to ihe 

 old ones, as they have no time to recruit from their labour, which, in feeding two 

 or three large birds on the floor, as is often the case, is very great, and pulls the 

 birds down very much, and throws them out of condition, particularly the hens, 

 who are not equal to it, and have frequently seen them very ill from so great 

 exertion, and on taking them in hand, have found them considerably wasted, 

 which by taking off the young birds, has been remedied in a few days, and 

 the old ones have picked up their flesh as before. For want of an additional room 

 to draft them off, the Fancier must, if his loft is divided, put them in the 

 contrary side, where they will be prevented teazing the old ones, and learn to 

 feed well iu two or three days. 



OF BARREN BIRDS. 



It sometimes happens that the Fancier has a pair of barren birds in his loft, that 

 is, a pair that from age, or some other defect of nature, will not breed. Tliis is 

 more frequently attributable to the hen, as she is more liable to be weakened from 

 too much breeding, and laying too quickly, and perhaps not having had sufficient 

 care taken to sit and feed her off. But if she lays regularly, and the eggs do not 

 come to perfection, after the usual time of sitting, it is clear it is not her fault, and 

 must be attributed to some defect in the cock. If she does not lay, and only 

 wants to be continually going to nest, it is her fault, and the best way is to give 

 her a pair of eggs, and let hi-r sit on them, and provide her a young one to feed 

 off, when her time for sittitig is out ; and repeat this when she wishes to go to nest 

 again for a few times, and it the hen is curable without flying her, this will make 

 her lay again. If she is very valuable, the Fancier should send her to some friend 

 in the country who keeps pigeons, and match her to one of the common birds, and 

 let her fly ; and if she is not past breeding, it will bring her round. When the 

 Fancier has a hen of this description, and the cock is not too good to lose the use 

 of in this way, he may make them very useful as feeders, by sitting them at 

 almost any time he wishes, which office, by a little management, they will very 

 leadily perform, and when their time of sitting is expired, will be ready to take » 



