Our  Canaries 
67 
actual  floor  space  is  everything.  In  no  sphere  of  life  are  the  main  principles  of 
malthusianism  more  essential  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  than  in  the 
stocking  of  aviaries.  The  natural  increase  in  numbers  which  may  reasonably  be 
expected  must  always  be  taken  into  consideration  if  overcrowding  is  to  be  avoided 
at  all  times.  Therefore,  when  one  is  anxious  to  raise  young  during  the  summer, 
it  is  a  safe  plan  after  working  out  the  full  accommodation  of  the  space  at  disposal 
to  deduct  two-thirds  of  the  result,  and  start  each  season  with  a  stock  numbering 
only  one-third  of  the  total  accommodation. 
Contrary  to  the  usual  practice  when  breeding  in  cages  polygamy  is  the  most 
successful  method  with  Canaries  flying  at  liberty.  Nothing  will  go  further  to 
extinguish  all  chances  of  success  than  a  superfluity  of  males.  No  sooner  will  the 
mate  of  one  cock  be  gone  to  nest  than  he  pays  his  addresses  to  his  neighbour's 
spouse  in  the  most  scandalous  manner  possible,  and  then  the  strife  begins,  which, 
by  the  time  the  majority  of  cocks  become  temporarily  unattached,  develops  into 
a  veritable  reign  of  terror  which  shows  neither  respect  nor  mercy  for  the  gentle 
sex  or  chicks,  either  or  all  of  which  are  unceremoniously  thrown  out  of  the  nests 
with  the  utmost  sangfroid  to  make  way  for  yet  another  abortive  attempt.  In  all 
ordinary  cases  two  cocks  will  be  quite  sufficient  for  every  six  or  seven  hens. 
A  TYPICAL  CASE. 
The  troubles  which  may  confront  the  aviarist  are  well  shown  in  a  few 
remarks  of  Mr.  H.  Wright,  of  Norwich,  who  writes  on  this  subject : — "  Norwich 
is  not  a  place  where  Canaries  are  bred  in  out-door  aviaries.  I  have  seen  very  few, 
and  then  only  a  few  Canaries  were  bred.  I  have  tried  it  on  different  occasions, 
but  the  results  were  not  very  successful.  About  three  years  ago,  my  son 
decided  to  try  it,  turning  into  an  aviary  three  cocks  and  five  hens,  all 
Norwich,  about  the  middle  of  April.  The  cocks  fought  continually,  so  he 
removed  two  of  them.  The  hens  then  built  and  mostly  had  good  eggs,  but  they 
would  go  to  each  other's  nests.  Some  lost  their  young,  and  would  go  to 
the  nests  that  had  young  and  feed  them.  I  have  seen  three  hens  fighting  for  the 
possession  of  a  nest  of  young  ones.  About  thirty  young  were  hatched,  and 
of  these  six  were  reared." 
Fortunately  there  is  another  and  brighter  side  of  the  picture  than  this 
account  reveals,  as  will  be  shown  by  the  racy  notes  very  kindly  sent  us  by  Mr. 
J.  S.  Clarke,  of  Woodford  Green,  which  contain  also  some  interesting  remarks 
on  aviary  construction. 
ON   OUT-DOOR  AVIARIES. 
"These  remarks  are  written,"  writes  Mr.  Clarke,  "chiefly  for  people  who 
love  birds  for  themselves,  and  there  are  many  such  who  care  little  or  nothing 
as  to  what  type  a  bird  may  be,  neither  do  they  exhibit.  If  taken  to  a  show,  they 
say  in  all  probability,  *  What  a  nice  lot  of  birds.'    To  them  the  cardless  waster 
