l82 
Our  Canaries 
egg-food  on  the  score  of  expense  and  to  get  rid  of  the  trouble  of  preparing 
it  and  keeping  the  supply  fresh  and  sweet,  each  class  having  adherents  holding 
varying  and  dissimilar  views. 
A  large  variety  of  foods  has  been  referred  to  in  the  chapter  on  feeding, 
and  we  need  only  stay  here  to  mention  the  method  given  us  by  Mr.  J. 
W.  Bruce,  of  Coldstream,  who  writes: — My  mode  of  feeding  is  as  follows: 
one  egg  to  two  Abernethy  biscuits,  with  a  teaspoonful  of  maw  seed,  well 
mixed  together,  and  as  much  of  this  as  they  will  eat.  No  green  food, 
except  when  a  hen  is  getting  a  little  constipated." 
ANOTHER  VIEW   OF  IT. 
On  the  other  hand,  Messrs.  Hopper  Bros.,  of  Keswick,  writing  concerning 
the  Border  Fancy,  say : — "  On  the  thirteenth  day  of  incubation  give  a  little 
yolk  of  egg  and  biscuit,  or  stale  bread  crumbs.  Also  add  hemp  seed  to 
the  canary  and  rape,  and  as  the  young  get  older  increase  the  egg  food, 
and  add  the  white  of  egg  with  yolk.  Do  not  disturb  the  hen  any  more 
than  you  can  help,  but  take  a  peep  when  she  is  off  and  examine  the  nest. 
Should  it  have  a  sour  and  disagreeable  smell  you  may  be  sure  that  one  (or 
more)  of  the  young  has  diarrhoea.  Look  into  the  nest,  and  should  you  find 
one  of  the  young  looking  blue  and  shrivelled  up,  destroy  it — if  you  do  not, 
it  may  be  the  means  of  your  losing  the  whole  brood." 
The  first  sign  of  diarrhoea  in  any  of  the  young  must  not  be  neglected. 
Moist  succulent  green  stuff  should  be  withheld  for  a  few  hours,  or  for  a 
whole  day  if  necessary,  and  a  little  dry,  crushed  arrowroot  biscuit  and  crushed 
hemp  mixed  together  and  given  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  egg-food.  The 
latter  may  also  be  dusted  slightly  with  prepared  chalk  until  the  looseness 
is  stopped. 
HELPING  THE  UNFORTUNATE. 
Examine  the  cage  floor  regularly  every  morning  and  evening  after  young 
are  hatched,  in  order  to  see  if  any  unfortunate  youngster  has  been  accidentally 
dragged  out  of  its  nest  ;  or,  better  still,  seize  an  opportunity  when  the  hen 
comes  ofi"  for  food  to  peep  into  the  nest  and  "cheep"  to  the  young  when, 
if  all  is  going  well,  they  will  probably  raise  their  heads  and  gape  for  food, 
and  one  will  be  able  to  see,  at  a  glance,  if  the  proper  number  are  safely 
ensconced  within  the  nest. 
If  any  have  been  dragged  out,  and  appear  cold  and  stark,  do  not  jump 
to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  dead.  Take  them  up  gently,  place  them 
between  the  palms  of  the  hands  and  hold  them  in  front  of  a  fire  as  closely 
as  can  be  done  without  burning  the  hand,  and  breathe  through  the  thumbs 
on  to  the  birds  from  time  to  time.  A  few  minutes  of  this  treatment  will 
often  resuscitate  an  apparently  lifeless  chick.  As  soon  as  it  gets  quite  warm 
and  lively,  replace  it  in  the  nest. 
