19 



necessary attentions to their eggs or young. The daily feeding, 

 the bi-weekly cleaning, the examining of nests, the setting cf the 

 hens after the fourth egg is laid, and, most important of all, the 

 inspection of the brood in due course, all are received by the hens 

 with the utmost complacency, numerous instances, indeed, having 

 been known where the birds have had so little fear of the keeper as to 

 require lifting with gentle force from their nests whenever it was 

 desirable to inspect the young brood. The G-erman Canary-breeder 

 examines the crop of each of his young hopefuls at least once 

 a day. All the hens, therefore, have to leave their nests at his 

 pleasure, and the confidence induced by his frequent attentions 

 is so complete that, instead of exhibiting anxiety as to what is 

 taking place, they take the opportunity of resorting to the feeding 

 trough for a few grains of seed or of slacking their thirst. After 

 eating and drinking, they will shake and preen their plumage 

 vigorously, and will return to their nest the moment they are per- 

 mitted. Our English birds would probably resent such intrusion, 

 and after being so disturbed, would be very likely to desert their 

 eggs or young altogether. Properly trained hens show no fear for 

 themselves or their brood, but resume their duties as if nothing had 

 happened. 



I have no doubt that some of my readers will question the 

 possibility of obtaining Canary hens possessed of so many virtues as 

 are here enumerated, and such would, of course, be impossible if the 

 birds were procured just when the fancier happens to come across one 

 or more at odd times, or when he purchases his stock only just in time 

 to breed from them. It is too late then to tame and familiarize the 

 birds with their surroundings and their keeper, but if the method 

 above described is faithfully adhered to, all difficulties will vanish, 

 and very much greater pleasure, as well as increased profit, will result. 

 A certain degree of 



INBREEDING- 



is, with any kind of stock, desirable, to fix whatever characteristics 

 are aimed at, but when carried on to excess it defeats its own object, 

 inasmuch as greatly inbred stock of any kind, seriously deteriorates 

 in health and stamina. When hundreds of young are bred by one 

 fanciers from say forty parents, and the best of these are kept for 



