96 



CANARY BIRDS. 



birds of the preceding year have, as early as the end of 

 March, scales so strongly protruding that any one, not very 

 accurately informed, would take them to be older, nay, 

 even aged birds ; the smaller scales only, which are at the 

 toes of the bird, are really decisive, for these are not easily 

 removed, and are, therefore, as well as the cut or un- 

 cut claws, to be minutely observed. In purchasing, 

 one can hardly avoid getting — instead of birds one or 

 two years old — old birds which have been set aside by 

 the breeder ; and these are detected by the fact that, after 

 the moulting in autumn, they, without any preliminary 

 1 1 study," at once burst out into full song. Such a bird is, 

 at least, three years old, if not older. 



Duration of the Breeding-time and Annual 



Nesting. — It is not advisable to let each separate pair 

 nest more than three times consecutively, nor that the 

 hatches should be allowed to go on later than June ; young, 

 one-year-old males being removed from the bird-room when 

 the female has had her second brood. Good breeding-birds 

 are, of course, allowed to nest in each successive year, and 

 it is alleged that the birds, both male and females, die of 

 grief and longing, or rather of excitement, if, in the ensuing 

 year, they do not find an opportunity for nesting ; this, 

 however, is not quite correct, provided only that the bird, 

 which is not to be used for breeding, but to be kept as a 

 singing-bird, be, in the spring of the same year, hung up in 

 such a manner that he cannot hear the nesting females, 

 and that much green-herb be given to him, and that he be 

 fed moderately. If this be observed, he will thrive and 

 sing very assiduously, especially if he has the opportunity 

 of hearing another good singer ; such males are usually 

 hung outside the window, but this should not be done in 

 the case of delicate Hartz-birds. 



The Yield Of the Brood is generally computed at 



