538 BIRDS 



Nesting material must now be supplied, of which the 

 birds will build their nests. The carrying is generally done 

 by the cock, the hen arranging his contributions as he brings 

 them. Straw is used by many, but it is such a perfect haven 

 for lice that its use certainly is not to be commended. Eng- 

 lish breeders still use it freely, but in this country thin Cuban 

 tobacco stems are most popular. Very long, soft, pine 

 needles have recently appeared on the market, and seem to 

 furnish an ideal material. 



After about a week of tender billing and very strenuous 

 driving on the part of the cock the first egg should appear, 

 generally late in the afternoon. This egg is incubated more 

 or less closely, until early in the afternoon of the second 

 day following, when another should be added. Young or 

 weak hens frequently lay but one egg, and there are cases, 

 well authenticated, in which three have been laid. 



Many breeders make it a practice of removing the first 

 egg as soon as laid, substituting a dummy, and returning the 

 original when the second is laid. This is because some birds, 

 particularly in cold weather, sit closely on the first egg, 

 causing it to hatch a day or so before the other, thus giv- 

 ing the chick an advantage which its nest-mate is never able 

 to overcome. Others seem to be able to furnish just enough 

 warmth to keep the germ alive, so that incubation does not 

 progress much until the second egg is added, thus allowing 

 both to hatch at about the same time. 



It is usual for cocks to sit during the day, from nine or 

 ten in the morning until late in the afternoon, the hen doing 

 duty during the remainder of the twenty-four hours. The 

 precision with which hours are kept, and the affectionate 

 bowings and billings with which the change is made, form 

 an interesting study in domestic relations. 



If all goes well, the eggs should chip on the eighteenth 

 day after the first was laid, and the young birds should 



