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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



starling, who may thus far be culpable : and in 

 this way may be charged with the occasional ruin 

 of a pigeon's nest. I offer this explanation as 

 likely to interest some of the readers of our Jour- 

 nal ; and as being useful to satisfy the doubts of 

 others ( as it has satisfied my own,) regarding this 

 blemish in the character of the Starling. — H.H.W., 

 Combe Vicarage, Hants. 



On Breeding Canaries, Proper Cages, &c, &c. 

 — Since I wrote last, death ha*s been at work in 

 mj family of songsters; and no less than one- 

 fourth of the whole number have been struck down 

 by his ruthless hand. All these deaths have taken 

 place in cages of wire and tin-plate, without any 

 wood being used in their construction. I thought 

 these would be more easily cleaned, and kept in 

 order, than those made of wood ; and although 

 told by an experienced fancier that such cages 

 were dangerous, still I persisted in using them, and 

 have paid dear for my obstinacy. I do not yet 

 know why these tin and wire cages are more dan- 

 gerous than others ; I only state the fact. That 

 the few remarks I may forward to our Journal, 

 on the subject of Canary Breeding, may be more 

 easily understood by your readers, I will, with 

 your permission, give a list of my birds and cages ; 

 and their respective arrangement. The cages are 

 numbered, from 1 upwards : — No. 1 is a handsome 

 and very complete cage, painted white inside ; but 

 not made entirely of mahogany. It was procured 

 from Clifford, Great St. Andrew Street ; and with 

 the above exception, is made according to the in- 

 structions given in one of your own earlier articles 

 on Song- Birds. Its occupants are a pair of London 

 prize canaries (mealy cock and Jonque hen) not 

 quite perfect, and one year old. No. 2 is a large 

 cage made entirely of mahogany, 30 inches long, 

 20 high, and 12 deep. It is neither painted nor 

 whitewashed inside ; and is tenanted by a pair of 

 perfect prize canaries (Jonque cock and mealy 

 hen). No. 3 is the same as 2, only rather smaller ; 

 it is neither painted nor whitewashed. Its tenants 

 are a mealy Belgian cock and Jonque hen, — both 

 fine birds. No. 4 is the same as 3. No. 5 is a 

 very old cage, about the same size as No. 2 ; but 

 without a division to separate the young birds from 

 the old one6, and with loose nest-boxes. Nos. 4 

 and 5 are without inhabitants at present. Nos. 

 6 and 7 form a double cage (new), of the usual 

 construction, with loose boxes, and quite plain. 

 Each compartment is 24 inches long, 20 high, and 

 12 deep. No. 6 contains a pair of common cana- 

 ries, and No. 7 a mealy Belgian cock and Jonque 

 hen. Nos. 8 and 9 — a double cage, similar to the 

 last (one year old) — size of each division, 19 inches 

 long, 12 nigh, and 10 deep. It is occupied by two 

 pairs of fine Norwich canaries, — Jonque cock and 

 mealy hen. No. 10 is a very old and common cage 

 containing a cock goldfinch and hen canary. No. 1 

 similar to the last, and contains a cock linnet and 

 hen canary. The foregoing list comprises all 

 my present stock ; but, before six months have 

 passed over, I hope, to see it very largely increased. 

 The first symptoms of breeding were shewn by 

 No. 2, whose inmates were kept in a warm room, 

 where a fire was constantly burning. Being sup- 

 plied with materials, the nest was finished on 

 February 23rd ; but the first egg was not laid till 

 March 3rd. Four eggs were laid, but turned out 



unfruitful. The same pair formed another nest, 

 and the hen has been sitting for a week on four 

 eggs, all of which appear to be unfruitful. No. 1 

 in the same room, built a nest early in March, but 

 the eggs were not laid till near the end of the 

 month, and then in one corner of the space where 

 the nest-box is placed, on the bare wood, and in 

 6uch a situation that the hen could not possibly 

 sit on them. I placed them in the nest ; but she 

 has not condescended to look at them since, and is 

 now building a new nest. The eggs, three in 

 number, I intend to place in No. 6, where the first 

 egg was laid on the 4th instant. In No. 8, four 

 eggs were laid on the 30th March, and the hen is 

 now sitting. Two other pairs are making prepara- 

 tions for a beginning ; and in a fortnight I expect 

 we shall be in full operation. One of your corres- 

 pondents states, that cakes made with butter are 

 injurious to the young birds. I have used the 

 broken cakes and scrapings of cakes procured from 

 a confectioner's, to mix with boiled egg, for my 

 birds ; and I never found any ill effects to follow its 

 use, though no doubt the crumbs and broken 

 cakes contained a large proportion of butter. I 

 have five larks, and they are all in full song. I 

 give them equal parts of Clifford's German 

 paste, bruised hemp-seed, and bread crumbs, 

 mixed. This food answers admirably for them. 

 My bed-room has a southern aspect, and is devoted 

 to my favorites, whose comfort and convenience I 

 constantly endeavor to study. They are fed and 

 watered every morning, with the addition of egg 

 and cake twice a week. Every Thursday they are 

 thoroughly cleaned, and an abundant supply of 

 fresh sand given. Any further information likely 

 to prove of interest to your readers, I shall be most 

 happy to communicate from time to time. — Alpha, 

 Liverpool, April 8. 



Notes on the Robin, SwaTloic, Cnclcoo, &c. — 

 We are now, my dear Sir, in all our glory. 

 The weather is seasonable ; the glorious sun 

 shows us his bright and lovely face ; and the 

 trees are clad in a vesture of the most refresh- 

 ing green. The very flowers, on every hand, 

 seem anxious to gladden us as we pass. All 

 nature is serene and happy; and as you* say, 

 why should not we, her children, be happy too? 

 Is not happiness " contentment ?" [Most assured- 

 ly !] Our robins are at nest. The mamma in ex- 

 pectancy has been " sitting " some time ; and her 

 doating spouse has, meanwhile, paid her the most 

 attentive consideration. There is no mauvaise 

 honte about him ! More than once has the ele- 

 gant little trogue taken from 1 my very hand a 

 mealworm, and flown with it direct to his better- 

 half. No selfishness have we here, Mr. Editor. 

 Well may you remark, that we mortals ought to 

 improve upon the many hints thrown out to us 

 by the lower world ! I note something suggestive 

 every day ; and often ponder on your words — not, 

 I hope, without profit. The swallows have been 

 over some days [they visited Hammersmith on 

 the 14th of April] ; but we have not yet heard the 

 Cuckoo. [He was heard at Acton, Middlesex, 

 1^ miles from Hammersmith, on the 17th of 

 April.] He cannot, however, be far off, as his 

 avant-courier, the wry-neck, is heard early every 

 morning. I should tell you, that we are not, like 

 the generality of people, averse to swallows 



