i66 
Our  Canaries 
to  decide  when  the  birds  are  getting  into  the  proper  condition  for  mating. 
The  fact  will  be  thrust  upon  one.  The  birds  seem  to  be  seized  with  an 
uncontrollable  frenzy  of  restlessness.  They  career  around  the  cage,  the  cocks 
literally  bubbling  over  with  song,  and  the  two  singing  furiously  at  each  other ; 
or  the  cock  will  be  found  vigorously  responding  to  the  call  of  any  hen  that 
may  be  within  earshot,  the  hens  on  their  parts  shrilly  flinging  challenges  and 
call-notes  about  broadcast,  whilst  they  restlessly  flap  and  flutter  about  the 
perches.  This  is  the  ideal  condition  for  the  middle  of  March  or  thereabouts ; 
and,  whenever  possible,  breeding  operations  should  be  delayed  until  that 
season.  Then  the  birds  will  be  in  prime  condition  for  mating  and  getting 
to  work  in  a  business-like  way  without  delay. 
It  must  not  be  assumed,  however,  that  this  is  the  only  proper  condition 
for  a  bird  that  is  ready  and  fit  to  mate.  Much  depends  upon  the  temperament 
of  the  individual,  and  it  is  not  even  absolutely  essential  for  a  male  bird  to  be 
in  vigorous  song  to  be  capable  of  fertilising  eggs.  Provided  it  is  in  good  sound 
health,  and  is  active,  it  is  always  safe  to  give  it  a  chance  in  the  breeding  cage 
to  test  its  fertilising  powers.  The  most  silent  and  undemonstrative  birds  will 
at  times  prove  exceptionally  good  breeders. 
THE  PRELIMINARIES. 
Never  mate  a  bird  before  it  is  ready  and  shows  a  desire  for  a  mate.  It 
is  sheer  waste  of  time,  and  possibly  a  waste  of  the  services  of  a  good  bird, 
which,  allied  to  a  more  forward  mate,  would  give  a  creditable  account  of  its 
stewardship.  Far  better  let  a  bird  remain  unattached  for  a  season  than  attempt 
to  mate  it  before  it  is  ready. 
But  when  mating  is  about  to  take  place,  the  birds  should  first  be  carefully 
examined  individually.  Overgrown  claws  and  beaks  should  be  trimmed  to  the 
proper  length  to  avoid  future  accident  to  eggs  or  to  bird.  Dense  heavy  crests 
should  be  clipped  off"  at  the  sides  to  the  upper  margin  of  the  eyes  in  order 
to  leave  the  sight  unobstructed,  and  the  fronts  should  be  clipped  back  to 
about  the  middle  of  the  beak.  Dense,  heavily-feathered  birds,  such  as  Crests, 
Crest-breds,  Lancashires,  and  Dutch  Frills,  should  have  all  loose  flowing  tips 
of  feathers  trimmed  neatly  off  the  flanks,  abdomen,  and  under-tail  coverts.  Do 
not,  however,  cut  the  tail  short,  nor  disfigure  the  bird.  All  that  is  necessary 
is  to  trim  off  loose  superfluous  tips  in  such  a  way  that  a  prepared  bird  v^ill  look 
more  neat  and  trim  then  than  before  the  clipping  was  done.  No  disfigurement 
at  all  is  necessary  nor  yet  advisable. 
TYING  THE  HYMENEAL  KNOT. 
Having  concluded  all  the  preliminaries  satisfactorily,  and  all  things  being 
ready  for  pairing  up  the  birds,  an  introduction  is  necessary  before  putting  them 
together.    In  many  cases  the  introduction  is  dispensed  with;  but  the  advantages 
so  far  outweigh  the  little  extra  trouble  entailed,  that  it  should  never  be  omitted. 
