68 



CANARY BIRDS. 



with the former, the birds generally cover the eggs in such 

 a maimer that they get spoiled, and, from the two latter, 

 they often wrap sharp films around their feet, causing the 

 latter to suppurate and to become inflamed, in which case 

 the bird naturally leaves his brood. Soft feathers of a 

 white colour should be abundantly provided. The Hartz 

 breeders usually allow only "charpie" threads for the 

 building of the nest, which is mostly garnished with moss. 

 Must recommends particularly the use of lime-covered goat- 

 hair from the tanneries (these hairs are steeped in lime- 

 milk, and well-dried afterwards), because mites do not 

 settle in them. The building materials are mostly placed 

 in an old cage, having several doors or holes, and being 

 covered with a lid, and such a cage is then put into the 

 aviary, being thus secured against soiling. Only trifling 

 quantities of f ringed-out linen threads, or feathers, are 

 thrown on the ground by way of encouragement. 



Food and Feeding. — The food for German canaries 

 in general consists chiefly of a mixture of rape-seed, canary- 

 seed, and crushed hemp-seed, no matter whether it be 

 anxiously provided with one or the other or with all of 

 these. Whether all sorts of dainties are offered him or not, 

 it will, in every case, delight the person entrusted with his 

 care, by his joyous song, by his thriving condition, and by 

 his affectionate bearing, provided always that his treatment 

 be not entirely opposed to the laws of nature, for it is a 

 thoroughly sturdy and durable bird. Under the most 

 favourable conditions he will reach an age of 20 years 'and 

 more, but this applies only to the single, caged songster, 

 while breeding birds seldom exceed 6 or 8 years. 



The usual, and at the same time the most suitable, food 

 for Dutch and English colour canaries is the canary-seed. 

 The former get also some hemp-seed, but to the latter it is 

 said to be injurious if regularly supplied. The food for the 



