Book II. O^^IT HO LO q'T. %$} 



ojfMtions to theHiftory of the Canary bird out of a late Snglijh 



Writer concerning finging Birds. 

 i 



CAnary birds ( he faith) of late years have been brought abundantly out ofGer- 

 many, and are therefore now called German birds : And thefe German birds in 

 handfomnefs and fong excel thofe brought out of the Canaries. 



The Cock of this kind is never Cub Jed to be fat: For his high mettle, and lavifti 

 finging will hardly fuffer him to maintain fiefh on his back, much lefs fat. 



How to chnfe a Canary-bird. 



Let him be a long bird, ftanding (freight and not crouching, but fprightly, like un- 

 to a Sparrow-hawk;, ftanding with life and boldnefs, and not fubject to be (careful. 

 Before you buy him, hear him fing in a fingle Cage 5 fo you may be fure not to be! 

 cheated with a Hen for a Cock, and may pleafe your fancy in his finging. He that hath 

 moft variety of notes, and is the longeft fong-bird is by moft accounted the belt. 



How to know if he be in health when yon buy him. 



If he ftands up boldly, without crouching or (hrinking his feathers, if his Eyes look 

 chearful, and not drowfie 5 and he be not apt to clap his head under his Wing, thefe 

 are good (igns of a healthful bird : But the fureft is to obferve his dung $ which when 

 he is in perfect health lies round and hard, with a fine white on the outfide, and dark 

 within, and will quickly be dry. The larger the birds dung is, I hold it the better* 

 fo it be long, round, and hard. A Seed-bird very feldom dungs too hard, except it 

 be very young. If he bolts his tail like a Nightingale after He hath dunged 5 or if his 

 dung be very thin, or if it have only a (limy white,, with no blacknefs in it, the bird 

 is not healthful. 



Of the ordering of Canary-birds, which you intend far breeding, in building and breeding. 



Firft, make a convenient Cage, or prepare a room fit for that purpofe : You muft 

 be fure to let it have an out-let toward the rifing of the Sun, where you muft have a 

 piece of wire, that they may have egrefs and regrefs at their pleafiire. When you 

 have prepared a convenient Room, then fet up in the corners of it fome Befoms* 

 either Heath or Frail, opening them in the middle : If the Room be pretty high you 

 may let two or three brooms, one under another 5 but then you muft fet partitions 

 with boards over every broom \ otherwife the birds will dung upon one anothers 

 heads 5 and al(b they will not endure to fee one another fo near each others Neft, for 

 the Cock or Hen will be apt to fly upon a Hen that is not matcht to them, when 

 they fee them juft under their Neft, which many times caules the (poiling of their 

 Eggs and young ones. 



2. You muft caufe fomething to be made fo convenient, and of fuch bignefs as may 

 hold meat for fome confiderabletime, that you may not be difturbing of them con- 

 tinually, and a convenient VefTel for water alfo. Let your place where you intend 

 to put your feeds be fo ordered that it may hang out of the reach of the Mice, for 

 they will deftroy all the Canary feeds, and (0 confequently way ftarve your birds. 



3. You muft prepare fome ftuff to build withall of feveral forts of things, as Cot- 

 ton-wool, fmall deadgrafs, Elks hair [ this is hard to get in England~] and earth-mo(s. 

 You muft dry it before you put them together : Then mingle them all, and put them 

 up in a little Net like a Cabbage-net, hanging of it fo that they may with eonveni- 

 ency pull it out. You muft fet Pearches all about the Room, and, if big enough, fet 

 a tree in themiddle,that Co they may take the more pleafure. You muft proportion your 

 birds according to the bignefs of your Room : Rather let it be under-flocked than 

 over : for they are birds that love liberty. 



4. When you perceive them begin to build and carry ftuff, give them once a day 5 

 or in two days at leaft, a little greens and (ome Loaf-fugar, for that will caufe a flip- 

 perinefsin the body, thatfo the Eggs may come forth without injuring the birds -5 for 

 many times the Hen dies in laying her firft Egg : Which will be a great lofs, both in 

 lofing the firft brood, and unpairing the Cock. If this happens, and you have but 



