Our  Canaries 
III 
parents  to  provide  for  the  needs  of  the  young  brood,  which  rapidly  become 
more  and  more  exacting  and  ravenous  from  this  time.  When  the  brood  is  a 
large  one,  or  the  hens  show  signs  of  flagging  in  their  duties  when  the  full 
diet  as  above  detailed  is  being  supplied,  a  small  quantity  of  rape  soaked  over- 
night in  cold  water,  and  drained  until  apparently  dry  on  the  outside,  given  in 
a  separate  vessel  will  often  prove  effectual  in  exciting  them  to  renewed  activity. 
But  great  care  must  be  taken  that  this  does  not  become  sour  in  hot  weather. 
Beyond  this  the  fancier  should  not  desire  to  go,  unless  stress  of  exceptional 
circumstances  compel  him  to  do  so.  Happy  is  he,  and  the  better  his  birds, 
who  is  able  to  confine  his  attentions  to  the  cult  of  the  simple  life. 
A  YORKSHIRE   VIEW   OF  IT. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  here  the  interpretation  given  to  the  term  simple 
living  by  Mr.  D.  Mallinson,  of  Huddersfield,  whose  long  years  of  practical 
experience  as  a  successful  breeder  of  Yorkshires  entitles  his  opinions  to  the 
deepest  consideration  and  respect.  On  the  subject  of  diet  for  young  broods 
he  has  very  kindly  contributed  the  following  notes  : — 
"The  feeding  of  my  birds  has  always  been  simple.  I  always  use  the 
best  Spanish  canary  seed  as  their  staple  food.  During  the  breeding  season 
hard  boiled  eggs  with  home  made  bread  and  a  little  granulated  biscuit.  Also 
summer  rape,  Niger  seed,  and  crushed  hemp  seed  about  equal  parts,  a  little 
dandelion  or  lettuce  supplies  all  that  is  nefcessary  for  the  hen  to  rear  her 
young.  Some  hens  will  not  feed,  no  matter  what  you  try  them  with.  Others 
will  take  to  one  particular  food,  perhaps  crushed  hemp  or  green  food.  Should 
a  hen  take  to  feeding  on  any  particular  food,  I  let  her  have  plenty  of  it. 
A  PLAIN  DIET  THE  BEST. 
I  find  if  she  takes  to  feeding  on  any  of  the  above  named  foods  the  youngsters 
will  thrive  just  the  same  if  she  scarcely  touches  the  egg  food.  I  have  had 
hens  bring  out  good,  healthy,  strong  youngsters  on  seed  and  green  food — 
jumping  on  the  edge  of  the  nest  before  they  were  twenty-one  days  old.  It  is 
not  always  those  that  get  the  richest  food  that  make  the  best  birds. 
INFANTILE  TROUBLES. 
*'  Egg  food  should  not  be  made  too  rich ;  it  is  too  strong  for  the  youngsters, 
and  in  many  cases  it  is  the  rich  diet  that  causes  so  many  young  birds  to  die 
from  eight  to  twelve  days  old.  It  causes  either  constipation  or  diarrhoea. 
They  lose  appetite  and  cannot  take  their  food  as  usual.  The  hen,  therefore, 
begins  to  stay  more  on  them,  having  little  work  to  do,  and  in  hot  weather 
causes  'sweating'  to  come  on,  and  they  die  in  the  nest — half  grown  birds.  I 
do  not  always  blame  the  hen  for  this.  There  is  something  amiss  with  the 
youngsters,  the  hen  having  fed  well  up  to  that  age.    Thousands  are  lost  every 
