84 



CANARY BIRDS. 



magnificent crested birds (besides some defective and bald 

 ones) out of a male with a very fine, and a female with a 

 defective crest, as well as out of a well-crested pair. This, 

 also, is an established fact within the province of bird- 

 breeding, yet it cannot be raised to the standard of an 

 absolute rule. Young birds whose hoods present a scurvy 

 appearance are, singularly enough, called " green beaks." 



The Preparations for Breeding consist in the 



following items : The birds are, from the beginning of 

 autumn, to be fed with the best seeds in a manner adapted 

 to strongly nourish, without unduly fattening them; 

 dainties should be altogether avoided. It is further advis- 

 able to cause the birds, be they in cages or in aviaries, to 

 become as tame and confident as possible, before the breed- 

 ing-time, so that, if approached, they will not at once take 

 flight from the nests, tearing out the eggs or the young- 

 birds, or crush the latter. The taming of a bird ought 

 never to be attempted by coercive measures, such as hunger, 

 thirst, etc., but, on the contrary, it should always be treated 

 with the same degree of gentleness and kindness; it should 

 never be scared or frightened, and tameness and confidence 

 will be the natural result of such, treatment. Before per- 

 mitting the birds to enter the aviary, each male, with the 

 female allotted to him, must have been kept for about a 

 fortnight in a separate cage, in order to effect the pairing ; 

 the completion of the latter will become manifest by billing, 

 mutual feeding from the crop, and a soft, tender chirping. 

 Such a union is then of lifelong duration. Such preliminary 

 pairing is only necessary, however, when it is intended to 

 produce a pure and distinct breed or colour. If, on the 

 other hand, a very copious breed is contemplated, one will 

 allow the birds, after having carefully selected them, to fly 

 at once into the aviary ; but it will be advisable to assemble 

 all males and females in the same cage about a month be- 



