Breeding and Management. 49 



be found of great value, if used in this way, to fanciers who 

 breed hybrids by crossing two of the different varieties of 

 finches together, such as the Bullfinch and Goldfinch or 

 Goldfinch and Siskin. 



It must be borne in mind that neither Goldfinches nor 

 Linnets will submit to be interfered with during incubation ; 

 and, in most cases, they will forsake their eggs or young if 

 they are molested. 



If it is preferred to breed the varieties named in an 

 outdoor aviary, we recommend a lean-to " similar to that 

 shown at Fig. 3. Along the wall space compartments should 

 be erected in all respects similar to the cages recommended, 

 and each pair of birds furnished with one. It is a good 

 plan to have a nursery made between two of these, with a 

 door of communication at each side leading to both cages, 

 so that when a hen commences a second brood, if the first 

 appear troublesome to her, it is an easy matter to run the 

 cock and young ones into it, and shut them off until they 

 can feed themselves. It is best to keep all seed-eating birds 

 in a separate aviary apart from soft-billed birds, and more 

 particularly when they are flighted together. 



Starlings, Blackbirds, Thrushes, Eobins, Blackcaps, Hedge- 

 warblers, Tits, Wrens, and Wagtails will most of them breed 

 in outdoor aviaries under proper arrangements and good 

 management. The surroundings should be made as much as 

 possible like those to which they are accustomed when at 

 liberty. In order to insure success, it is necessary to keep 

 them in separate compartments or divisions, each pair of birds 

 having plenty of space. This is not only advisable, but strictly 

 necessary in the case of Blackbirds and Eobins, as they would, 

 if placed together in pairs in the same aviary, destroy each 

 other. Two or three pairs of Starlings, or even Thrushes, 

 that have been reared together in an aviary during the winter 

 might agree, if care was taken to pair the birds properly in 

 a cage before turning them into the breeding inclosure. As 

 soon as birds kept together promiscuously (cocks and hens) 

 begin to quarrel, which will take place in the early spring, 

 separate the males and females, and put each kind together 

 into a separate aviary. 



Feed the males at stated times ; say at 8 a.m., 1 p.m., 

 and 5 p.m., and notice which of the males obtains the 



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