i6 
Our  Canaries 
be  varied  at  more  or  less  frequent  intervals  by  the  cocks  ill-treating  their  own 
wives  and  dragging  them  off  the  nest  to  the  continued  danger  or  actual  detriment 
of  the  embryo  family.  The  continual  excitement  of  the  cocks  also  has  an 
adverse  effect  upon  their  mates,  and  not  infrequently  results  in  inciting  them  to 
leave  the  nest  with  a  new-born  desire  to  start  afresh,  and  begin  the  whole  business 
over  again. 
OBVIOUS  DISADVANTAGES. 
If  a  cock  is  run  with  two  hens,  the  cage  being  divided  into  three  compartments 
as  before,  and  a  hen  kept  in  each  end,  the  centre  compartment  being  reserved  for 
the  cock  in  case  it  should  be  necessary  to  keep  him  separate  from  both  the  hens 
at  the  same  time,  things  will  generally  run  more  smoothly,  but  there  is  still  a  large 
measure  of  chance  attached  to  success.  Many  hens  are  even  more  excitable  and 
spiteful  than  cocks  when  nesting,  and  when  nothing  but  a  wire  slide  separates  the 
pair  after  nesting  she  will  often  spend  far  more  time  in  quarrelling  with  him 
through  the  wires  or  trying  to  get  to  him  than  she  will  pass  in  performing  her 
proper  duties,  and  the  eggs  will  then  most  likely  be  chilled  and  spoilt.  On 
the  other  hand  the  cock,  after  being  mated  with  one  hen  and  sending  her  to  nest, 
will  rarely  pay  the  same  amount  of  attention  to  a  second  mate  whilst  in  such 
close  proximity  to  the  first  spouse,  seeing  her  frequently  leave  the  nest,  and 
rarely  go  back  without  hurling  a  challenge  or  a  love-call  at  himself. 
Of  course  all  birds  are  not  of  the  same  temperament,  and  both  cocks  and 
hens  vary  to  a  wonderful  degree.  There  are  hens  which,  once  they  have  laid 
their  complement  of  eggs  and  commenced  incubation,  will  sit  on  through  thick 
and  thin,  oblivious  of  all  the  strife  and  turmoil  that  may  go  on  around  them;  and 
there  are  likewise  cocks  such  amorous  swains  that  they  never  hesitate  to  court 
"  flame  "  after  "  flame  "  in  rapid  sequence.  With  them  it  is  simply  a  case  of 
being  "  off  with  the  old  and  on  with  the  new."  But  these  are  more  or  less 
exceptional  cases,  and  the  condition  of  things  we  have  just  described  is  far  more 
likely  to  prevail.  Therefore,  considering  the  amount  of  space  which  is  thus 
utilised  to  accommodate  a  single  pair  of  birds,  it  cannot  very  well  be  held  up  as  a 
successful  method  of  breeding  for  the  average  fancier. 
POPULAR  AND  PRACTICAL. 
The  most  popular  and  generally  useful  style  of  breeding  cage  now  in  use 
is  the  box  type  with  all  internal  fittings  made  loose  and  separate,  so  that  they  may 
be  passed  through  the  door,  and  hung  upon  a  nail  or  hook  permanently  fixed 
in  the  side  or  back  of  the  cage  for  this  purpose,  and  removed  as  soon  as  they 
cease  to  be  required  for  their  intended  purpose.  All  useless  ornamentation  is 
properly  avoided,  and  the  whole  cage  and  its  fittings  made  as  plain  as  possible. 
Minus  the  wire  front  such  a  cage  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  merely  a  plain 
oblong  box,  with  a  strip  of  wood  about  3  ins.  wide  fixed  lengthwise  across  one 
side  and  |  in.  from  the  side  of  the  box,  leaving  this  amount  of  space  underneath 
