70 



CANARY BIRDS. 



breeding time (with only the addition of hard-boiled egg, 

 well minced) with some stale, soaked, and then well-dried, 

 wheat-bread. In the feeding of the Hartz canaries during 

 the breeding, exclude, as much as possible, all kinds of 

 foreign seeds ; only poppy and canary seed, and very rarely 

 hemp, are sometimes given as medicine and for the purpose 

 of strengthening the bird. 



The best sweet rape-seed is given dry, in the usual 

 manner, and also moistened, or, better still, boiled or scalded 

 in hot water, then, in both cases, it will be rubbed between 

 a linen cloth until it rolls, that is, until it is airless and dry 

 to the touch. Bocker proceeds in the following manner : 

 " The rape-seed is poured into a small tin sieve and con- 

 stantly stirred while hot water is poured over it ; when the 

 latter is drained, the seed is spread out on a coarse, linen 

 cloth, and in ten minutes it is so dry that it 'rolls.' It has 

 then lost some of its hardness and has acquired an im- 

 proved taste ; and the birds like it better, they do not 

 scatter so much of it about." Booker's egg-food, which has 

 become very popular with breeders, consists of equal parts 

 of hard-boiled egg, and of wheat-bread, the latter being, at 

 least, eight days old, and which, having been moistened 

 w T ith pure water, is then carefully squeezed out dry. This 



After the example of English breeders, Mr. Brandner considers 

 good hemp-seed as an excellent supplementary food for Hartz 

 canaries. He even thinks that it may be altogether substituted for 

 egg-food ; he seems, however, to overlook the fact that the con- 

 ditions of the two localities are wholly different, and that our delicate 

 Hartz-birds are totally distinct from their sturdier colour-birds. 

 For my part, I should rather advise that hemp be altogether avoided 

 in feeding the former ; if it be absolutely necessary to use it as food 

 for colour-birds and others, it ought, as a matter of course, to be 

 crushed, and each dose, as it becomes necessary, will have to be 

 pounded afresh, because, otherwise, and specially in hot weather, 

 the oil contained in the grains becomes easily rancid. 



