CAGE AND SI^^GING BlUDS. 
21 
^ near-at-hand flower-garden so much the better. When the 
bh'ds show a disposition to pair^ be careful not to intrude 
upon their privacy more than you are oWiged ; let them have 
a plentiful supply of good stimulating food, and clean sand, 
and fresh water, as well as the building materials before 
mentioned. Some persons, as soon as the hens begin to lay, 
take away the eggs one by one, and replace them with little 
ivory balls, until the full number are laid, when they are all 
M replaced in the nest together; the advantage of this is very 
^ ! questionable ; true the young* birds are all hatched at once, 
if hatched they should all be, which is frequently not the 
case, as the eggs are very liable to be cracked, or otherwise 
injured by the handling* and change of temperature, incident 
i to the removal from and return to the nest. But it is not so 
I in nature ; there the young are properly fed, and generall}' 
reared, althoug^h some of the inmates of the same nest may 
be several days older than the others. There seems to be 
nothing in the altered circumstances of the birds to justify 
this interference with their natural habits ; therefore, we 
v/ould say, put away 3^our ivory balls, and let the tiny eggs 
remain to take their chance ; the parent birds will sit all the 
closer for being imdisturbed by prying eyes and curious 
fingers, there will be less trouble and annoyance to all con- 
cerned, and a greater likelihood of a full and vigorous brood. 
During the time of incubation, there should be food and 
drink in abundance placed close at hand, so that when they 
i come off the nest they may at once find what they require, 
I and not be induced to remain off long\ Generally speaking, 
! a pair of birds should not be allowed to rear more than tvv.') 
j broods in a year, as the work of production and incubation; 
if carried on longer than is natural, is too exhausting; it hi 
not uncommon for canaries put up for breeding to have three 
or four broods in a season, but in this case the value of the 
produce tempts the owner to sacrifice his hens, which seldom 
live many years, if their poiv 3rs are taxed too heavily. In our 
account of the Canary will be found many more directions 
under the head of Breeding, which are applicable not only to 
that species, but also to birds generally. 
What we shall have to say upon the subject of Rearing 
will apply more especially to those young birds which are 
taken vv il'd from the nests ; the others may safely be left to 
