CHOICE OF BREEDING-BIRDS^ AND THEIR TREATMENT. 79 



spot as, for instance, a cage accessible only by some holes 

 drilled into the back part of it, and which should stand in 

 some dark corner, or that, nesting-time once over, the room 

 be thoroughly secured against these intruders. 



Dr. Steinhausen proposes that a box of middle size, filled 

 with soft straw, nailed up on all sides, and provided only 

 with a narrow, oblong aperture at about half its height, be 

 placed in a corner of the room close to the wall, so that not 

 even the smallest bird can slip in, while the nimble mouse 

 can easily glide into it. After a few weeks, the box should be 

 carefully carried out, stopping up the hole, a funnel be in- 

 serted into the latter, and hot water poured into it until the 

 box is full. Dr. Steinhausen, on one occasion, on opening 

 the box, found about 30 drowned mice in it, and he thinks 

 that, if this process is repeated from time to time, the bird- 

 room may be freed from these ugly pests. 



Choice of Breeding-birds, and their Treatment. 



— In accordance with the different ends pursued by breed- 

 ing, it will be necessary, also, to start from different points 

 of view, whether it is intended to breed distinct colours, or 

 to preserve a breed in all its purity of colour, or, without 

 reference to any colour and marks, to breed proficient 

 songsters only. In each case the respective breeding birds 

 will have to be chosen differently. 



In order to produce an excellent breed of canaries, that 

 is, to raise a family of sturdy birds which either sing de- 

 lightfully, or have a rich and full plumage, or are of a 

 distinct and beautiful colour, the following rules should be 

 observed. The pairing of kindred birds must be avoided, 

 that is, brothers and sisters, or parents with their offspring, 

 because by sterility, some diseases, infirmities, debilitated 

 breed, and even some vices, may become hereditary through 

 consanguinity ; and also because the foundation to degener- 

 acy and to the total deterioration of the breed may thereby 



